Live coverage: SpaceX supply ship returns to Earth

The mission is the second planned Falcon 9 launch for SpaceX in the span of six hours. Liftoff from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is targeting 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 UTC).

The mission will be the sixth trip to the orbiting outpost for Ax-3 Commander Michael López-Alegría and the first for the other three crew members. Launch is planned for Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 5:11 p.m. EST (2211 UTC).

SpaceX hopes to take a giant leap forward in rocket technology a few minutes after Friday’s scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 booster taking up 2.5 tons of critical supplies and experiments to the International Space Station.