SpaceX tries again to launch 1st recycled supply ship
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX is trying again to launch its first recycled supply ship to the International Space Station.
Forecasters at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center are cautiously optimistic storms won’t halt Saturday afternoon’s countdown like they did Thursday.
Atop the Falcon rocket is a Dragon capsule loaded with 6,000 pounds of station cargo. The same Dragon made a delivery to the orbiting outpost for NASA in 2014 and then was refurbished for an unprecedented second flight. SpaceX will attempt to recover this new rocket booster for recycling, too. The first-stage booster will aim for a landing at Cape Canaveral following liftoff.
SpaceX hopes to slash launch costs by reusing its rockets and capsules. For now, savings are minimal because of all the inspections and tests performed on the already flown parts.
In this photo provided by NASA, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft onboard, is seen at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, June 3, 2017. SpaceX is trying again to launch its first recycled supply ship to the International Space Station. Forecasters at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center are cautiously optimistic storms won’t halt Saturday afternoon’s countdown like they did Thursday.