Live coverage: Cygnus cargo freighter departs space station

NASA commander Chris Cassidy shared views of Hurricane Laura captured Thursday as the International Space Station soared more than 250 miles over the dangerous storm while it churned across the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana.

SpaceX tested astronaut slidewire escape baskets and fire suppression capabilities Friday at launch pad 39A in Florida, demonstrating systems that would be activated in the event of an emergency before liftoff of a crewed mission.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday, heading east over the Atlantic Ocean to deliver NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite into orbit approximately 49 minutes after launch.