Major experiments that will look into a range of scientific disciplines from human health to atmospheric conditions on Earth are on their way to the International Space Station following liftoff at 9:39 a.m. EST aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. About 5,500 pounds of research equipment, cargo and supplies are packed into the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that is now in Earth orbit and headed to the station on the CRS-10 mission.

SpaceXs Dragon cargo craft launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the first commercial launch from Kennedys historic pad.

Astronauts Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency and Shane Kimbrough of NASA will use the space stations robotic arm to capture Dragon when it arrives at the station. Live coverage of the rendezvous and capture will begin at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22 on NASA TV and the agencys website, with installation coverage set to begin at 8:30 a.m.

Research materials flying inside the Dragons pressurized area include a crystal growth experiment that will crystallize a monoclonal antibody that is undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of immunological diseases. Growing the crystal in space will allow it develop more than it could on Earth where gravity causes crystals to collapse on themselves. Preserving these antibodies in crystals allows researchers a glimpse into how the biological molecules are arranged, which can provide new information about how they work in the body. So far, Earth-grown crystalline suspensions of monoclonal antibodies have proven to be too low-quality to fully model.

Better defining how some bacteria become drug-resistant is the focus of another experiment that aims to develop medicines that counter the resistance. Stem cells like those used to treat strokes and other occurrences also will be studied using experiment supplies brought up on this flight.

The equipment aboard the Dragon includes a major instrument that will survey Earths upper atmosphere in a continuation of one of NASAs longest-running Earth-observing programs. Called SAGE III for Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment, the instrument examines the levels of ozone, aerosols, nitrogen dioxide and water vapor in the stratosphere and troposphere high above Earth. It is the latest version of an experiment that began in 1979 and has created a multi-decade record of measurements. The 2,200-pound instrument will be connected to the outside of the station to make daily observations for several years.

The mission is the companys tenth cargo flight to the station under NASAs Commercial Resupply Services contract.Dragons cargowill support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations during the stations Expeditions 50 and 51.

Dragon is scheduled to depart the space station in late March, returning nearly 5,000 pounds of science, hardware and crew supplies.

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NASA, SpaceX and Federal Aviation Administration officials will conduct a news conference at 11:30 a.m. EST marking todays successful launch of the SpaceX CRS-10 mission to the International Space Station. The Dragon spacecraft and its 5,500 pounds of equipment are safely in orbit in pursuit of the station. You can watch the news conference on NASA TVor in the live stream below. News conference participants are:

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The Dragon spacecraft completed deployment of its two solar arrays and is flying free in its preliminary orbit to catch up with the International Space Station. The first stage returned to land safely as well and crews at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station are safing the stage. NASAs Mission Control in Houston and SpaceX mission controllers are overseeing the performance of the uncrewed spacecraft as it heads to the station to deliver some 5,500 pounds of materials including experiments.

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The Dragons twin solar arrays are deployed. It will take about two minutes to complete the process. The arrays will generate power for the spacecraft during its flight to the space station.

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Spacecraft Sep: Dragon has deployed and is now on its own to pursue the International Space Station to deliver experiments and equipment.

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The second stage engine has shutdown as planned.

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The first stage returned to its landing site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

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The second stage continues to burn as planned to lift the Dragon into orbit.

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The Dragons fairing has jettisoned as planned.

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The second stage of the Falcon 9 is now thrusting after the first stage separated. All systems good.

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SpaceX - blogs.nasa.gov