RAW VIDEO: SpaceX Cargo Capsule Reaches International Space Station

SpaceX cargo capsule docks with International Space Station one day late.

Published

4 months ago

Categories

Technology

Topics

Space Exploration, Technology

Places

Ukraine, Florida, Houston

Companies

SpaceX

Transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: A SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule overcame a potentially mission-ending technical problem to make a belated but welcome arrival at the International Space Station on Sunday. Astronauts aboard the outpost used the station's robotic arm to pluck the capsule from orbit at 5:31 a.m. EST/1031 GMT as the ships sailed 250 miles (400 km) over northern Ukraine. Flight controllers at NASA's Mission Control in Houston then stepped in to drive the capsule to its berthing port on the station's Harmony connecting node. Docking occurred at 8:44 a.m. EST/1344 GMT. The Dragon capsule, loaded with more than 2,300 pounds (1,043 kg) of science equipment, spare parts, food and supplies, blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Friday (March 02) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the second of 12 planned supply runs for NASA. SpaceX is the first private company to fly to the station, a $100 billion project of 15 nations. Dragon was to have arrived at the station on Saturday (March 02) but a problem with its thruster rocket pods developed soon after reaching orbit. Engineers sent commands for Dragon to flip valves and clear any blockage in a pressurization line in an attempt to salvage the mission.