Posted: Sun, Dec 8, 2019, 11:03 AM ET (1603 GMT)
A Dragon cargo spacecraft is also en route to the ISS after a launch Thursday. A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 12:29 pm EST (1729 GMT) and placed the Dragon spacecraft into orbit about 10 minutes later. The Dragon, flying a mission designated CRS-19, will arrive at the station early Sunday with its payload of more than 2,600 kilograms of supplies and experiments. The Falcon 9's second stage was scheduled to perform an extended six-hour coast after deploying the Dragon to demonstrate its capabilities for other customers. The extra performance needed for that in-orbit demonstration required the first stage to burn longer, leading to a droneship landing rather than a return to the Cape.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Florida Today article
•  CBS News article
•  Wired News article
•  NASA press release