SpaceX Rocket Carrying Holiday Cheer

A brand new Falcon 9 rocket is ready to launch a twice-used Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station.

There are concerns about upper level winds, but weather is 90% "go" for a launch at 12:51 p.m. Eastern Time from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

NASA leaders won't confirm it, but say the payload from the cargo ship could include some Christmas presents for the crew that has been living in orbit. International Space Station Program Manager Kenny Todd says "Santa's sleigh is certified for the vacuum of space."

If the launch goes well, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will land on a drone ship that's 185 nautical miles west of Jacksonville in the Atlantic.

The Dragon will rendezvous with the I-S-S early Saturday morning and the crew will use the robotic arm to grab it and berth it to the docking port. The capsule will remain docked at the I-S-S for about a month before it is sent back to Earth filled with trash and completed experiments.

Image courtesy Getty


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