SpaceX launches cargo ship bound for International Space Station

SpaceX launches cargo ship bound for International Space Station

SpaceX recently launched a rocket bound for the International Space Station containing 5,000 lbs of supplies and a brand-new 3-D printer.

Elon Musk, the billionaire behind PayPal and Tesla Motors, has done it again. On Sunday, his new company SpaceX launched an unmanned Dragon cargo spaceship with 5,000 lbs of equipment for NASA.

On board the cargo ship were food, clothes, and batteries. But the crown jewel of the delivery was a 3-D printer developed by California firm Made In Space. The printer is expected to help astronauts create needed parts in space without having to wait for crucial deliveries.

The Dragon spaceship also contained mice and fruit flies for space experiments. Additionally, there was a $30 million device for ocean wind speed measurements on board.

Dragon departed on a sunny Sunday morning from Cape Canaveral, FL. It should reach the International Space Station by Tuesday. It’s the fifth cargo delivery for SpaceX so far, but there could be more; SpaceX recently beat out other competitors, including Boeing, to win a prestigious contract transporting NASA astronauts back and forth from the ISS. Previously, this work had been done by Russia’s Soyuz craft for a stiff price.

NASA has not provided shuttling services since 2011, but began employing SpaceX two years ago. Another company, Virginia’s Orbital Sciences Corp., has also been tasked to help.

An American astronaut will shortly depart for the ISS later this week on a Soyuz craft, along with two Russia astronauts. They will join the American, German, and Russian astronauts who are currently aboard the station.

SpaceX’s successful launch added to a banner week for NASA. Its Mars rover has successfully reached a high mountain that could help understand the planet’s history. The Maven spacecraft, scheduled to orbit Mars, has almost reached the Red Planet. While NASA previously experienced severe budget cuts and loss of public interest, the agency seems to be continually breaking new ground and building excitement for its Mars and International Space Station missions.

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