Launch is much like any other SpaceX mission. The rocket lifts off and after a couple of minutes, it performs a stage separation.
The lower Falcon segment comes back to Earth to land on a drone ship, and the upper-stage pushes on to orbit.
Eleven minutes into the flight, the Dragon is let go and must make its own way to the station.
One of the big differences between this mission and standard cargo flights is the mode of approach and attachment to the ISS. Freighters come up under the orbiting lab and are grappled by a robotic arm and pulled into a berthing position.
On this occasion, we will see the crew version of Dragon approach the station at the bow and dock automatically, using a new design of connection ring. Arrival is set for 11:00 GMT on Sunday.
ISS astronauts will be watching closely to see that the capsule behaves as it should.
The Dragon is expected to stay at the station until Friday. The current plan has it undocking, firing its thrusters to come out of orbit, and splashing down at roughly 13:45 GMT.
Kirk Shireman, the manager of Nasa's International Space Station programme, said: "You'll hear us talk about this being a flight test; it absolutely is. Although, we view it also as a real mission, a very critical mission.
"The ISS still has three people onboard so this mission coming up to the ISS for the first time has to work; it has to work."
Nasa is also working with Boeing on crew transport. The company has developed a capsule of its own called the Starliner. This will have its equivalent demo flight in the next couple of months.
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