NASA and SpaceX are targeting a 6:05 p.m. launch Friday for the CRS-34 mission to the International Space Station after two weather-related delays this week. The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with 6,500 pounds of supplies for the orbiting laboratory. This will be the third attempt to launch the mission, which was scrubbed Tuesday and Wednesday due to poor weather conditions.
The U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron gave the current attempt a 90% chance of favorable weather, though cumulus and anvil clouds could still pose minor risks. Central Florida residents near the launch site should expect sonic booms as the rocket ascends and the first-stage booster returns to Landing Zone 40. The booster, which will complete its sixth flight, is expected to land back at the launch complex after separating from the Dragon spacecraft.
The Dragon capsule will carry scientific equipment, food, and other supplies to the ISS, where astronauts will unload the cargo within days of arrival. SpaceX has successfully completed 33 resupply missions to the space station since 2012, but this mission marks the first use of Landing Zone 40 for a Falcon 9 landing after previous landings at SpaceX’s nearby Landing Zone 1.
Live coverage of the launch will be available on Florida Today’s website starting 90 minutes before the scheduled window, with SpaceX’s webcast beginning 20 minutes prior to liftoff. Updates will be posted on the site’s dedicated space coverage page. For more information on launch schedules and space news, readers can subscribe to Florida Today’s 321 Launch newsletter or visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale, a Florida Today space reporter based in Brevard County, has covered rocket launches and space industry developments since 2004. He can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter/X at @RickNeale1.