Atlas V on pad for Friday launch of NASA satellite from Cape

A 19-story Atlas V rocket rolled to its pad Wednesday in preparation for a Friday morning launch of a NASA communications satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The United Launch Alliance rocket is targeting an 8:03 a.m. liftoff from Launch Complex 41, at the opening of a 40-minute window, and it appears weather will cooperate. 

There's a 70 percent chance of conditions meeting launch rules, according to a forecast from the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron.

The $540 million mission, including the cost of the launch, is ULA's fifth this year and first since April.

NASA's latest Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, known as TDRS-M, will add bandwidth to the in-space network that supports operations of about 40 missions including the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope.

Earlier Wednesday, the SpaceX Dragon capsule launched Monday from Kennedy Space Center arrived at the ISS with 6,400 pounds of supplies and science experiments.

NASA astronaut Jack Fischer and Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, of the European Space Agency, snared the Dragon with a 58-foot robotic arm at 6:52 a.m., as the spacecraft flew 250 miles over the Pacific Ocean near New Zealand.

Experiments arriving at the orbiting laboratory will study nanosatellite technology, lung tissue growth and potential new treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

On the lighter side, the Dragon also brought up a freezer packed with ice cream cups and bars as treats for the six-person station crew.

Fischer said the Dragon mission had "special significance" as SpaceX's 12th under a NASA resupply contract that originally called for a dozen flights. The contract has since been extended to total 20 missions, with more planned under a follow-on contract.

The mission "stands as a testament to a burgeoning commercial industry that has become a pillar of support" to NASA’s human exploration programs, Fischer said.

The Dragon launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 12:31 p.m. Monday.

SpaceX launches NASA cargo to ISS, lands Falcon 9 at Cape

Minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s first-stage booster flew back to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for a landing, making the rocket available for another launch. 

Contact Dean at 321-242-3668 orjdean@floridatoday.com. And follow on Twitter at@flatoday_jdeanand on Facebook atfacebook.com/jamesdeanspace.

LAUNCH FRIDAY

Rocket: United Launch Alliance Atlas V (401 configuration)

Mission: NASA's next Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-M

Launch Time: 8:03 a.m.

Launch Window: 40 minutes

Launch Complex: 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Join floridatoday.com starting at 7 a.m. Friday for countdown chat and updates, including streaming of NASA TV's launch broadcast.