SpaceX Dragon flight in pictures: from launch to splashdown
Today saw SpaceX's Dragon capsule splashdown safely in the Pacific Ocean after its demonstration flight and visit to the International Space Station. Space exploration can now check off another milestone: the first time a commercial spacecraft resupplied a space station.
The capsule splashed down at 11:42 A.M. PDT and is being recovered by ships off the coast of Baja, California. A NASA commentator on NASA TV noted that it was "remarkable how smoothly it went, from beginning to end;" the mission lasted nine days, seven hours and 58 minutes.
Next, Dragon will be taken to a SpaceX facility in Texas for a post-mission dress-down. This demonstration flight was one of the last large hurdles SpaceX needed to clear to see the Dragon capsule rated for manned spaceflight.
SpaceX is planning a dozen launches with NASA to the International Space Station; the space agency has a $1.6 billion contract with the company to provide a domestic ground-to-orbit solution for resupplying the ISS.
Kevin Hall contributed to this report.
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1. Birth of a Dragon Here she is, the SpaceX Dragon, the first commercial capsule to make it to space.
2. No junk in this trunk The Dragon capsule itself is attached to a "trunk" that houses its solar arrays before being mated to the Falcon 9.
3. Dragon's Wings To get to space, Dragon relies on the SpaceX Falcon 9 orbital launch vehicle.
4. Dragon mating Dragon, in its aeroshell, is mated with the Falcon 9, all ready for launch.
6. Up to space A fantastic view of the Dragon launch. Via Reddit
7. Dragon on approach Early on May 25th, Dragon began its approach to the ISS. Instead of docking directly, all Dragon had to do was to get close enough to the station to get picked up by the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
8. Dragon's eye view View of the ISS through Dragon's thermal imager as the spacecraft makes its final approach.
9. Gotcha With the Earth being all Earthy and gorgeous in the background, Dragon is grappled by the Canadarm at 9:56 am.
10. Bringing her in Astronauts Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers used the Canadarm to bring Dragon in to the Earth-facing side of the station's Harmony node for berthing.
11. Astronauts at work Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers doing some Dragon taming from the Cupola of the ISS.
12. The final few feet The Canadarm brings Dragon in for the final berthing maneuver.
14. Enter the Dragon Stuffed to the gills with food, supplies, and science equipment, Dragon's hatch is opened by the astronauts. The breathing masks were worn until Dragon's internal atmosphere could be verified safe.
15. Mission success Don Pettit, Joe Acaba, and Andre Kuipers waving from inside Dragon.
13. Docked Dragon nestles snugly in its berth on the Harmony node.
5. Liftoff The Falcon 9 carrying Dragon lifted off on the morning of May 22.
17. Splashdown This is the first picture of Dragon after its successful mission. Here we see it bobbing in the Pacific Ocean, waiting for recovery crews to finish securing the capsule. (Photo Credit: Michael Altenhofen/SpaceX)
16. Dragon on approach Here's the first glimpse the world got of the Dragon spacecraft, as tracked by a P-3 aircraft. Dragon was about 10 minutes to splashdown when this was taken.
