SpaceX Dragon Capsule Headed Home
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
CAPE CANAVERAL (CBSMiami/AP) — A "dragon" is figuratively winging its way toward Earth with a load of scientific goodies.
A SpaceX Dragon capsule, containing some 3,000 pounds of experiments and equipment, left the International Space Station on Thursday morning. It's headed for an early afternoon splashdown in the Pacific, off the Southern California coast.
The capsule arrived at the orbiting lab last month, bearing much-needed groceries and other goods for the six station residents.
The California-based SpaceX company is NASA's only means of getting supplies to the 260-mile-high station, ever since last year's loss of an Orbital Sciences craft in a Virginia launch explosion.
More recently, a Russian supply ship went into an uncontrollable spin after liftoff and was destroyed upon re-entry earlier this month, its entire contents undelivered.
SpaceX will attempt to launch another shipment June 26.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)