SpaceX Targets 8:30 p.m. Rollout
Sun, 07 Oct 2012 07:04:57 AM GMT+0800
Waiting for the current line of clouds to clear over the Florida launch site, SpaceX is targeting 8:30 p.m. EDT for the rollout of the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket for Sunday's launch. Launch remains scheduled for 8:35 p.m. EDT.
The fact that SpaceX has already launched a successful cargo demonstration mission to the space station does not mean the California-based company is taking its upcoming flight for granted, said Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX.
Speaking during a pre-launch press conference at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Shotwell said the upcoming mission will be flown by a Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket combination that is nearly identical to the ones that flew in May.
"Every time we fly we learn something," Shotwell said. "We're a launch company, I'm excited every time we get to launch."