Space Station Astronauts Use Robotic Arm To Capture SpaceX Dragon Cargo
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A SpaceX shipment arrived at the International Space Station on Monday following a weekend launch.
The Dragon capsule delivered 5,500 pounds of equipment and experiments.
Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques used the station's big robot arm — also made in Canada — to capture the Dragon approximately 250 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean. An external cable that normally comes off during launch dangled from the capsule, but it did not interfere with the grappling.
While the station was traveling over the north Atlantic Ocean, astronauts @Astro_DavidS and @AstroHague grappled @SpaceX #Dragon at 7:01 am ET using the space station's robotic arm Canadarm2. #AskNASA | https://t.co/9BvHATIiSE pic.twitter.com/OqgiuoTfRy
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) May 6, 2019
"Welcome on board, Dragon," Saint-Jacques radioed. Speaking in both English and French, he congratulated ground teams for their help and said he's proud every time the station's 58-foot Canadian robot arm is used in orbit.
"Well done, well captured. Way to make it look easy," Mission Control said.
SpaceX launched the capsule Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
It's the second station visit for this recycled Dragon. It also flew in 2017.
This is SpaceX's 17th delivery to the space station; the first was in 2012. Northrop Grumman is NASA's other shipper; its Cygnus cargo ship arrived just two weeks ago.
The Dragon will remain about a month, being filled with science samples for return to Earth. It's the only cargo ship capable of coming back intact.
NASA's research and development work aboard the space station contributes to the agency's deep space exploration plans, including returning astronauts to the Moon's surface in five years.
Besides one Canadian, the space station is home to three Americans and two Russians.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)