Next stop Earth: SpaceX cargo capsule departs space station
May 21, 2015, 8:19 AM
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A SpaceX Dragon capsule left the International Space Station on Thursday for return to Earth.
The capsule, containing more than 3,000 pounds of experiments and equipment, aimed for an early afternoon splashdown in the Pacific, off the Southern California coast.
The capsule arrived at the orbiting lab last month, bearing much-needed groceries and other goods for the six station residents.
The California-based SpaceX company is NASA’s only means of getting supplies to the 260-mile-high station, ever since last year’s loss of an Orbital Sciences Corp. craft in a Virginia launch explosion.
More recently, a Russian supply ship went into an uncontrollable spin after liftoff and was destroyed upon re-entry earlier this month, its entire contents undelivered.
SpaceX will attempt to launch another shipment June 26 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
___
Online:
SpaceX: http://www.spacex.com/
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
