SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket into space Monday afternoon, carrying cargo and experiments bound for the International Space Station.
- Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral
- Rocket carrying Dragon capsule to ISS
- SpaceX didn't attempt to land 1st-stage booster
- RELATED: Space Coast Launch Schedule
The rocket, which took off from Launch Complex 40 at from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, drew large crowds to the Space Coast. Traffic lines were long heading into prime viewing areas along the Space Coast, and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex said it had reached capacity and stopped accepting guests.
The rocket is carrying a Dragon spacecraft filled with thousands of pounds of supplies, cargo and experiments as part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Science heading to the orbiting outpost includes materials to study thunderstorms, plant studies and bone growth.
The Dragon spacecraft will spend about a month attached to the ISS. It will then return to Earth in May with the results of completed experiments.
Today's scheduled @SpaceX launch will carry #science to @Space_Station that will study severe thunderstorms from space, glowing cells, new plant growth systems, bone studies and more. Watch a recap of the science briefing to learn more. đŦđđŠī¸đąđđ pic.twitter.com/pqO7eBL7YS
â ISS Research (@ISS_Research) April 2, 2018
This Falcon 9 first-stage booster flew on NASA's 12th ISS resupply mission last year, and the Dragon capsule first visited the space station on the eighth resupply mission back in 2016.
SpaceX didn't attempt to land the first-stage booster, so it was used for the final time on this mission.
Watch launch
VIDEO: Watch today's #SpaceX #Falcon9 rocket launch again, and get ready for more launches later this month: https://t.co/dxN4yupuIn pic.twitter.com/tPYABVzpCr
â Spectrum News 13 (@MyNews13) April 2, 2018