CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX has launched a used supply ship on a used rocket to the International Space Station.
The Falcon rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday, hoisting a Dragon capsule full of food, experiments and other station goods for NASA.
The Dragon and its 6,000-pound shipment should reach the space station Wednesday. The station astronauts will use a robot arm to grab it.
Main engine cutoff (MECO) is confirmed. Watch as @SpaceX’s #Dragon cargo vehicle continues toward @Space_Station: https://t.co/C8BIw7hGzo pic.twitter.com/WsKWtSsdB2
— NASA (@NASA) April 2, 2018
It’s the second trip to the orbiting lab for this particular Dragon, recycled following a visit two years ago. The Falcon’s first-stage booster also flew before — last summer.
SpaceX has combined a recycled Dragon and a recycled Falcon once before. The company aims to reduce launch costs by reusing rocket parts.
The space station is currently home to astronauts from the U.S., Russia and Japan.
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