Post date: May 25, 2012 2:54:15 PM
IN SPACE (MAY 25, 2012) (NASA ) - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon cargo ship on Friday (May 25), the first privately owned vehicle to reach the orbital outpost.
Using the station's 58-foot long (17.7-meter) robotic crane, NASA astronaut Don Pettit snared Dragon at 9:56 a.m. EDT (1356 GMT) as the two spacecraft soared 250 miles (402 kilometers) over northwest Australia at 17,500 mph (28,164kph).
The capsule is carrying about 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms) of food, water, clothing and supplies for the station crew. It will be repacked with equipment to come back to Earth, and depart the station on May 31.
Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California would occur later that day.
SpaceX's Dragon capsule is captured by the International Space Station's robotic arm, making SpaceX the first private company to successfully launch their own spacecraft to the orbital outpost.