The Associated Press
Marcia Dunn
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.–SpaceX made good on a 250-mile-high delivery at the International Space Station today, after fixing a navigation problem that held up the shipment a day.
Everything went smoothly the second time around as the station astronauts captured the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship as the two craft sailed over Australia. Yesterday, a GPS system error prevented the capsule from coming too close.
The Dragon–loaded with 5,500 pounds of supplies–rocketed away Sunday from NASA’s historic moon pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Now leased by SpaceX, the pad had been idle since the close of the shuttle program almost six years ago.
The station’s six-person crew will accept another shipment Friday, this one from the Russians.
Given the Dragon’s delayed arrival–liftoff also occurred a day late–the astronauts were under orders to open the capsule as soon as possible to retrieve sensitive science experiments.
“Sorry about the delays,” Mission Control radioed. “Now the real work starts.”
“Congratulations Dragon on a successful journey from Earth and now welcome on board.”
