It was the longest mission unmanned Dragon. The ship, owned by SpaceX, launched on April 17 and after three days docked to the International Space Station (ISS), providing crew station research equipment and supplies.
On the way back to Earth with the ISS Dragon took 1.4 tons of research materials and waste. Another flight of the ship to the International Space Station is scheduled for June.
Along with the definitive withdrawal from service nearly four years ago, the US space shuttle, NASA has been deprived of its own means of supplying the ISS. Replacing the ISS crew members currently takes place only via Russian Soyuz ships.
Under the NASA contract, SpaceX will implement by 2016 a total of 12 capsules Dragon delivery flights to the ISS. The contract is valued at EUR 1.6 billion. SpaceX use their own carrier rocket Falcon 9.
That company SpaceX, as well as concern Boeing, NASA commissioned to construct a manned vessels which, in place of idle space shuttles have already carry astronauts into orbit. The first manned flight in two years.
IAR / PAP is
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