Falcon 9 static fire test completed ahead of planned Dec. 4 launch to resupply ISS
SpaceX Dragon supply capsule at the International Space Station.
LAKE MARY, Fla. - SpaceX on Tuesday completed a static fire test of a Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday, targeting a December 4 launch from Pad 40 in Florida for the Dragon supply capsule’s nineteenth resupply mission to the International Space Station.
The Dragon spacecraft supporting this upcoming mission previously flew in support of the aerospace company's fourth and eleventh commercial resupply missions, SpaceX said. NASA on Wednesday confirmed that the launch on Dec. 4 will take place at 12:51 p.m. ET.
Just last week, SpaceX completed a series of static fire engine tests of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which will help validate the launch escape system for the in-flight abort demonstration planned as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
The engine tests were conducted near SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Crew Dragon’s 16 Draco thrusters would be used for on-orbit maneuvering and attitude control, and would also be used for re-orientation during certain in-flight launch escapes, NASA said. The Crew Dragon’s eight SuperDraco engines are designed to accelerate Dragon away from the Falcon 9 launch vehicle in the event of an emergency after liftoff.
This story was written out of Lake Mary, Florida.