The reusable rocket landed vertically just a few miles from the launch site, the fifth such vertical landing for SpaceX, which is owned and operated by Elon Musk.
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As an extra treat, the company brought its leftover first-stage booster back to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for a vertical touchdown – only the second such land landing for an orbital mission and the ultimate in recycling.
NASA needs this new docking setup at the space station before Americans can fly there in crew capsules set to debut next year.
“With equipment to enable novel experiments never attempted before in space, and an global docking adapter vital to the future of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft, we’re thrilled this Dragon has successfully taken flight”, said Kirk Shireman, NASA’s ISS program manager, in a statement Monday. SpaceX is building astronaut-worthy versions of its Dragon cargo ships, while Boeing – which makes these docking ports – is working on a crew capsule called Starliner.
Once the spacecraft reaches the ISS, crew members will use the station’s 17 meter robotic arm to reach out and capture the Dragon spacecraft and attach it to the station. After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, more than 3,300 pounds of science, hardware, crew supplies and spacewalk tools will be returned to shore.
SpaceX successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket for the first time on solid ground. The 12:45 a.m. launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida was SpaceX’s second attempt at delivering a new-style docking adaptor for NASA.
The manned craft are scheduled to begin test flights next year. “It’s bringing critical supplies, critical hardware”. He said all the cargo is precious, but really wants this docking port “up there safe and sound”.
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This is the ninth mission by SpaceX under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. However, the landings made by SpaceX rockets successfully save $60 million worth of non-exploded rocket, which can be routinely reused for other launches. Boosters are normally ditched at sea. The company is developing rockets that can be re-used, potentially cutting down on launch costs.
