Watch: A SpaceX cargo ship was grappled at the International Space Station early Monday morning.
TORONTO – Six astronauts received a delivery Monday morning after SpaceX’s Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station.
Dragon was berthed with the station at 8:54 a.m. ET. The hatch is expected to be open Tuesday, though NASA said it could occur earlier.
READ MORE: SpaceX unveils spacecraft designed to fly astronauts to space station
Expedition 42 Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore of NASA captured the capsule with the help of Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti at 5:54 a.m., earlier than expected.
This is the fifth crew resupply mission by SpaceX. Along with food and supplies, there are several scientific experiments.
The Dragon capsule will remain at the station for four weeks while the astronauts pack it for its return trip home.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off on Saturday morning at 4:47 a.m. ET. Though the launch was successful, the attempt to safely land the first stage of the rocket didn’t go as well: it landed hard and was damaged.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said that the rocket ran out of hydraulic fuel just before touchdown which prompted the hard landing. The next attempt will have 50 per cent more hydraulic fuel, something that Musk feels will hopefully rectify the issue.
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