Stats: Delta 4 history and manifest

A Cargo Dragon spacecraft launched to begin its fifth journey to the International Space Station, carrying with it more than 6,000 pounds of science and supplies. Liftoff happened at 9:29 p.m. EST Monday (0229 UTC Tuesday).

In the span of two weeks, United Launch Alliance technicians performed the basic buildup of the Atlas 5 rocket and then mated the advanced GOES-R weather satellite that will be hauled into space on Saturday.

During a visit to Cape Canaveral this week, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken strapped in to the SpaceX crew capsule they will ride into orbit as soon as mid-to-late May. Next week, the astronauts will be in Houston to continue training for an extended stay on the International Space Station that could last two-to-three months.