The SpaceX cargo was finally launched today at at 3:14 a.m. EDT (0714 GMT) and it is on its way to the International Space Station. The launch was successful, despite the fact that it had to be postponed for a day. The shipment contains an unusual combination of items, including fruits, a robotic arm, and even ants. The Dragon capsule is expected to reach the station on Monday.
This launch marks the 23rd delivery SpaceX makes for NASA. The Dragon capsule has more than 2100 kilograms of supplies for the ISS. The seven astronauts from the space station will receive plenty of food, including fruits such as avocados or desserts like ice cream.
The cargo also contains plants and ants, send by The Girl Scouts, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison sent plant seeds. All these supplies will be used for experiments in space. A Japanese start-up will put its robotic arm to test and the first trials will occur in space. The robotic arm was sent via the SpaceX cargo and it will help astronauts with some of their activities on the space station.
The launch was live-streamed online and a video of it can still be watched on the SpaceX official website.
SpaceX had to postpone the launch
The cargo was supposed to be launched on August 28, but bad weather had the final word, and the launch had to be postponed. NASA spokesman Joshua Santora offered more details about the failed takeoff:
“Weather is a story that just keeps getting worse, unfortunately. We opened the show with a situation that had us at about a 60% chance of violating specifically to the cumulus cloud rule, but since our show has begun, we’ve had a couple of other issues pop up. We also are tracking now the attached anvil cloud rule and surface electric field rule.”
