spacetoday.net: Dragon berthed to ISS

Posted: Sat, May 26, 2012, 7:52 AM ET (1152 GMT)
Dragon grappled by ISS on COTS C2+ mission (NASA)

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft rendezvoused with and was berthed to the International Space Station on Friday, making it the first commercial vehicle to visit with the space station. A day after maneuvering in the vicinity of the ISS, the Dragon approached to within 10 meters of the station's Harmony node, at which point the ISS crew used the station's robotic arm to grapple the spacecraft. The arm then berthed the spacecraft to the Harmony module, attaching to the station at 12:02 pm EDT (1602 GMT) Friday, just over two hours after grappling. Astronauts opened the hatch to the Dragon early Saturday. NASA officials and others hailed the berthing as a major milestone for commercial spaceflight, as Dragon is the first commercial vehicle to visit the station. The mission is a test flight to demonstrate the Dragon's capabilities to operate around the ISS, delivering cargo to the station and later returning cargo to Earth. Dragon is expected to leave the station on May 31, reentering for a splashdown off the California coast.