SpaceX International Space Station Resupply Mission Delayed Again

Originally scheduled for March 16, the third SpaceX International Space Station resupply mission was delayed until March 30. The Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft are delayed again, and won't be sent to the ISS until April 14.

The SpaceX-3 Commercial Resupply Service will be pushed back nearly a full month after its original date. The first delay was a result of further preparations to ensure a successful launch. The second delay occurred after an electrical short occurred on Air Force ground equipment at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

NASA announced on Friday that the new launch will take place on April 14 at 4:58 p.m. EDT and can be viewed live on NASA Television. If that launch happens to be postponed, they already have another tentative launch date set for April 18 at 3:25 p.m. EDT. The Falcon 9 rocket will carry the Dragon spacecraft (which is holding the 4,600 pounds of cargo) to the International Space Station.

SpaceX recently signed a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to provide resupply missions for the International Space Station in the next few years. This is the third launch of the expected 12 cargo missions. The SpaceX-3 Commercial Resupply mission will be the first visit to the space station since last March, which was the NASA Resupply to ISS Flight #2 by the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.

Aside from making the cargo delivery, SpaceX also has a few other things to bring, including experiment equipment and new technology. They'll be carrying a prototype laser communications experiment (a new spacesuit) to replace a leaky suit on the space station, new legs for NASA's Humanoid Robonaut 2 robot, a grow lamp for a vegetable experiment project aboard the space station, and launch four cubesats on the resupply mission.

SpaceX was founded in 2002 and is a private company hired by NASA to make resupply mission to the ISS and conduct other space missions as well. The Associated Press reported the SpaceX-3 Commercial Resupply mission delay and new launch date.