First Spacecraft To Complete Three Unmanned Resupply Missions

The SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule that splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean Tuesday became the first such vehicle to complete three round trips to the International Space Station.

TechCrunch reports that the capsule has been docked at the station since late July. SpaceX has a contract with NASA to ferry supplies and critical equipment to the orbiting outpost. When possible, SpaceX refurbishes the cargo capsules and flies them again.

The spacecraft that came back to Earth Tuesday carried nearly 2,700 pounds of materials and results from experiments carried out on the ISS. When it boosted to the station in July, it carried some 5,000 pounds of necessary supplies and research materials.

One of the items returned was the Airbus CIMON robot. The Crew Interactive MObile CompanioN is an AI-based assistant for astronauts for the DLR Space Administration. The technology demonstrator is the size of a medicine ball and weighs around 12 pounds.

A manned version of the spacecraft, called Crew Dragon, will eventually carry astronauts to the station from U.S. soil as part of NASA's Commercial Crew program.

(Image provided by SpaceX)

FMI: Source report