SpaceX Dragon supply capsule docks at ISS

Mar 4, 2013 | Biz/Tech

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield in the Cupola module as the Dragon supply ship approaches ISS. Africa in the background. (Hadfield/Twitter)

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield in the Cupola module as the Dragon supply ship approaches ISS. Africa in the background. (Hadfield/Twitter)

By Dion Caputi

Dragon has landed.

The supply capsule Dragon has docked at the International Space Station’s Harmony module, but not without issue.

The unmanned ship, which launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force station in Florida, took flight controllers hours to restore the mission’s progress after three of four thrusters failed when in orbit, reported the Huffington Post.

Despite arriving a day late because of the complications, the capsule’s one-tonne supply cargo was brought aboard ISS.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted from the station after bringing the supply ship aboard.

Hadfield tweeted that Dragon was retrieved by the crew using robotics arm Canadarm2.

According to the CBC, other items included in the cargo: 640 seeds of a flowering weed, mouse stem cells, trash bags, computer equipment, air purifiers, spacewalking tools and batteries.

According to the Huffington Post, it is expected to take the crew several days to unpack the capsule.

Dragon is set to remain docked at ISS before landing in the Pacific on March 25 with 1,300 kilograms of science samples from the station, reported CBC.

The initiative–worth $1.6 billion–by private space transport company SpaceX, is the second of a planned 12 resupply missions to ISS, reported the Huffington Post.

Orbital Sciences Corp, another group, is set to launch its own privately built capsule to resupply ISS later in 2013, per report.