BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA and SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center Tuesday morning.
The launch was set for 5:07 a.m. and only had a 30% favorability due to the weather.
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Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/z9NvqaTz73
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 21, 2021
The Dragon spacecraft will deliver supplies, experiments and equipment for the crew on the International Space Station.
Among the experiments in Dragon’s 6,500 pounds of cargo are a protein crystal growth study that could improve how cancer treatment drugs are delivered to patients and a handheld bioprinter that could one day be used to print tissue directly onto wounds for faster healing.
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The launch was the first for this Falcon 9 first-stage booster and only the second mission this year supported by a new booster, SpaceX said.
It also marked SpaceX’s 100th successful landing of an orbital class rocket booster.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, marking the 100th successful landing of an orbital class rocket booster!
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 21, 2021
The Dragon capsule will arrive at the space station on Wednesday and remain docked for about a month before returning to Earth.
It was the 24th resupply mission for the Dragon capsule.
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It was also the final Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year.
This is the first flight for this Falcon 9 first-stage booster - only the second mission this year supported by a new booster
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 21, 2021
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