APR 04, 2018

SpaceX's Dragon Capsule Has Docked With the ISS

WRITTEN BY: Anthony Bouchard

After two days of floating around Earth, SpaceX's recently-launched Dragon capsule has caught up with and docked at the International Space Station.

At approximately 6:40 A.M. Eastern time, astronauts grabbed the capsule with Canadarm2, the space station's robotic arm. After achieving a tight grip, the astronauts carefully attached it to the airlock so that it could be opened.

The capsule held more than 5,800 pounds' worth of supplies, including fresh food and a bevy of new science experiments that astronauts will conduct during their stay onboard the International Space Station.

Worthy of note, this was a flight-proven Dragon capsule that flew to the International Space Station previously. Just like with SpaceX's Falcon 9 boosters, the commercial space company refurbishes its Dragon capsules so that they can be reused repeatedly.