NASA and commercial space company SpaceX will discuss plans to launch the first private spaceship to the International Space Station during a press conference Monday (April 16).

The briefing will follow a meeting among mission managers to decide whether the spacecraft is ready to lift off as planned April 30.

SpaceX is the first firm scheduled to launch its unmanned vehicle to the station under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program aimed at stimulating the development of private vehicles to take over the duties of the retired space shuttles.

The time for Monday's briefing, to be held at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, has not yet been set, but it will follow the Flight Readiness Review meeting due to wrap up in the early afternoon.