Space & Astronomy
Dragon capsule docks with space station
By
T.K. RandallMay 26, 2012 ·
17 comments
Image Credit: NASA
In a world first, a private spacecraft has successfully docked with the International Space Station.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule was grabbed by the station's robotic arm as it made its final approach. "Looks like we've got a Dragon by the tail," said astronaut Don Pettit as the capture was made. The astronauts are now tasked with unloading over 1200 pounds of food and supplies over the next three weeks.
The success of this mission is being widely hailed as the beginning of a new chapter of space exploration with private companies taking a front seat in the development of spacecraft that could eventually open up space as a viable commercial platform for everything from space tourism to asteroid mining.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully berthed with the International Space Station this morning after a long overnight approach including several unplanned maneuvers.
Source:
Wired |
Comments (17)
Tags:
Please Login or Register to post a comment.