This weekend, SpaceX will launch a load of supplies to the International Space Station soon after an unsuccessful supply run by Russia. The company will also attempt to succeed in the act of landing the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a floating ocean platform.

According to mission officials, the weather forecast is 90% favorable for the launch, which is scheduled at 10.21 am EDT on Sunday at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Falcon 9 rocket will be carrying a Dragon spacecraft, with over 4,000 pounds of equipment, food, experiments and other supplies to be sent to the ISS. It will also consist of a new docking port, or parking place, for commercial crew capsules in future.

This shipment is considered critical as two attempts of sending deliveries to the space station have failed since fall. A Russian supply ship lost control shortly after its liftoff in April; it burned up while re-entering along with all its contents. An Orbital Sciences Corp. cargo carrier was destroyed in a Virginia launch explosion in October.

According to Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX vice-president of mission assurance, innovative companies learn from the mistakes they make. According to Koenigsmann, "This is an experimental trial to some extent. You look at the data, you evaluate this and then you make corrections, and that's ultimately how you succeed. There is always going to be some uncertainty about the outcome. But I feel a little bit better".