Squids, peppers to fly to space for the first time

SpaceX is gearing up to launch its 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission or CRS-22 on Thursday.

The mission will deliver more than 4,300 pounds (3,300 kg) of cargo, the team said during a pre-launch press conference on Wednesday in Cape Canaveral.

It will also carry research supplies, vehicle hardware including the first two new solar arrays.

"We have quite a few plant experiments flying on this mission," Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist for the International Space Station program said during the conference.

For the first time, a CRS mission will also include bobtail squid and tardigrades.

The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to takeoff on Thursday at 13:29 EDT.

There's also a backup window on Friday incase of an unexpected situation.