Dragon Begins Final Approach to the International Space Station
25 May 2012, 01:21 UTC
NASA astronaut Don Pettit, left, and European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers train to capture Dragon with the station's robot arm. Photo Credit: NASA
The SpaceX Dragon began the final leg of the first U.S. commercial re-supply journey to the International Space Station early Friday.
If all goes well, the unpiloted capsule should maneuver to a point below the six person orbiting science lab and within reach of the station’s 58-foot-long Canadarm2 just before 8 a.m., EDT.
Station astronauts Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers, of NASA and the European Space Agency, will be gathered at the control console in the cupola observation deck prepared to grapple the capsule with the robot arm and hoist it to a berthing point on the U.S. segment Harmony module just after 12 p.m. NASA astronaut Joe Acaba is assisting.
Launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Tuesday, Dragon sailed within 1.5 miles of the station on Thursday, testing the navigation and communications systems required for Friday’s track and capture operations.
Dragon then departed the station in a looping race track trajectory that took it well out in front, above and then back and behind the station.
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