SpaceX sent its Crew Dragon capsule skyward on Saturday for a crucial test of its ability to carry human passengers. Now, slightly more than 24 hours later, the next phase of the test has played out.
It went well.
The Crew Dragon capsule, designated Demo-1, was able to successfully dock with the International Space Station at roughly 3:00 a.m. ET. Although there was no crew aboard this time, SpaceX’s reusable capsule is designed to carry up to seven astronauts to and from Earth’s orbit.
SEE ALSO: SpaceX kicks off a ‘new era in spaceflight’ with the Crew Dragon launch
The company has been sending an earlier version of its capsule to the ISS for a number of years, but in those instances the space station’s robotic arm has helped the smaller vehicle successfully dock. For this test, the Crew Dragon’s own navigational system handled the docking procedure — and it happened without issue. Read more…
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