|
 The capsule arrived at the station on April 17 with more than
4,300 pounds (1,950 kg) of food, supplies and science experiments
for the six-member crew.
It was repacked with more than 3,100 pounds of science samples and
other equipment and released back into orbit at 7:04 a.m. EDT/1104
GMT on Thursday for a return trip to Earth, a NASA TV broadcast
showed.
A parachute splashdown in the Pacific is expected at 12:42 p.m. EDT
about 155 miles (249 km) southwest of Long Beach, California, NASA
said.
The returning cargo includes roundworms that are part of a medical
study to assess physiological changes that impact aging.
A second investigation looks at how the microgravity environment
changes the worms’ muscle fibers, information that may provide
insight into mitigating muscle loss in astronauts during
long-duration flights.
 SpaceX, as the privately owned company is known, is one of two firms
hired by U.S. space agency NASA to fly cargo to the station
following the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011.
SpaceX, owned and run by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, made a
test run to the station in May 2012 and is halfway through its
original 12-flight, $1.6 billion contract with NASA.
NASA last year added three more flights to SpaceX’s agreement, for
an undisclosed amount. SpaceX’s next launch to the station is slated
for June 26.
[to top of second column] |
NASA’s second supply line to the station is temporarily grounded,
following a launch accident in October.
The contractor, Orbital ATK, is revamping its Antares rocket and
hopes to be flying again in March. Meanwhile, it is buying a rocket
ride for its next Cygnus cargo ship from United Launch Alliance, a
partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, with launch targeted for
late this year.
Russia and Japan also fly freighters to the station, though an
accident, which remains under investigation, claimed the last
Russian Progress capsule in April.
SpaceX is developing a version of the Dragon capsule to fly
astronauts and expects to begin test flights next year.
(Reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by Andrew Hay)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
