NASA TV all set for live coverage of SpaceX's 20th ISS resupply mission

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida, carrying supplies and payloads.

SpaceX's 20th contracted resupply mission (CRS-20) to the International Space Station will be launched as scheduled on March 6, 11:50 p.m. EST Friday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, live coverage of which will air on NASA Television and the agency’s official website, the US space agency said on Saturday.

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida, carrying supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will take place during Expeditions 62 and 63.

After reaching its preliminary orbit in about 10 minutes after launch, Dragon will deploy its solar arrays and begin a carefully choreographed series of thruster firings to reach the space station. The spacecraft will stay at the ISS for about four weeks, after which it will return to Earth with research and cargo.

According to NASA, the Dragon’s unpressurized trunk will also transport European Space Agency's (ESA) Bartolomeo, a new commercial research platform set to be installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory.

The Bartolomeo research platform, attached to the European Columbus Module of the ISS, is operated by Airbus Defence and Space with the support of the ESA. It will serve as a cost-effective approach for a new community of start-ups and space entrepreneurs looking to reduce costs and shorten turnaround times.