SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) Thursday morning, carrying critical materials for some new science programs on human health, Earth science and weather patterns, the U.S. space agency NASA said.
The spacecraft was successfully captured at 5:44 a.m. EST (1044 GMT) by European astronaut Thomas Pesquet and NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, using the orbiting lab's robotic arm.
"Cosmic catch!" NASA posted on Twitter.
Dragon carried about 5,500 pounds (about 2,495 kg) of cargo for its 10th commercial resupply mission for NASA.
Research materials aboard the Dragon include a crystal growth experiment that will crystallize a monoclonal antibody that is undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of immunological diseases, according to NASA.@ The equipment onboard Dragon includes a major instrument that will survey Earth's upper atmosphere in a continuation of one of NASA's longest-running Earth-observing programs. The 2,200-pound (about 998-kg) instrument, called SAGE III for Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment, will be connected to the outside of the station to make daily observations for several years.
Dragon was previously scheduled to be captured at 4:30 a.m. EST (0930 GMT) on Wednesday, but the cargo spacecraft canceled the planned docking with the ISS after onboard computers on Dragon recognized an incorrect value in data about the location of the space station.
A few hours before Dragon aborted its rendezvous, Russia launched the Progress MS-05 cargo ship resupply ship from Kazakhstan. It carries nearly three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the six-member Expedition 50 crew and will arrive on Friday.
Dragon was launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday morning from NASA's historic moon pad and will remain docked with the station for about a month.
