LOS ANGELES, Mar. 18 (Xinhua) - NASA and SpaceX are targeting this Thursday to launch the 30th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station, the agency said on Monday.

The launch is scheduled for 4:55 p.m. Thursday Eastern Time, lifting off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the U.S. state of Florida.

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will deliver new scientific investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the international crew.

NASA and its partners will send studies aboard the mission on plant metabolism in space and a set of new sensors for free-flying Astrobee robots to provide 3D mapping capabilities, according to NASA.

The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida, according to NASA.

Photo from NASA Blogs