03-28-2024  2:40 pm   •   PDX and SEA Weather
MarCIA Dunn AP Aerospace Writer
Published: 19 March 2012

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- The International Space Station should be getting its first commercial cargo shipment in early May.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX, plans to launch its Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral on April 30. The Dragon will take a few days to get to the space station.

The launch was delayed from February for additional testing.

It will be the first time a private company launches space station supplies. It will also be the first U.S. delivery since NASA's space shuttles stopped flying last year. Unmanned cargo ships from Russia, Europe and Japan are filling the void.

The billionaire founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, wants to provide rides to the space station for American astronauts in the next few years. NASA astronauts currently are hitching rides on Russian vessels.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Recently Published by The Skanner News

  • Default
  • Title
  • Date
  • Random

The Skanner Foundation's 38th Annual MLK Breakfast