SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft Connects with ISS

by NowPublic Staff | May 25, 2012 at 08:05 am

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Milestone in Space Travel as Dragon Meets ISS

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has been successfully captured by the INternational Space Station, marking a milestone in space travel. This is the first time a commercial space vehicle has rendezvoused with the ISS.

Dragon was a bit late to the party, though, after an aborted first attempt to dock.

"Looks like we caught a Dragon by the tail," astronaut Don Pettit said after capturing the capsule with the robotic arm, according to NASA.

A two-hour delay isn't all that bad, all things considered. Unlike the season finale of Archer, docking a spacecraft to a space station takes ages: the hatch to the Dragon spacecraft isn't scheduled for opening until tomorrow (May 26).

Dragon is carrying precious cargo: James Doohan's ashes.

In the meantime, though, you've got space, you've got robots... what's not to like?

European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers and NASA astronaut Don Pettit are at the robotic work station in the space station's cupola. NASA astronaut Joe Acaba is standing by to bolt the Dragon onto Harmony through commands he will issue from a laptop in the Destiny laboratory.