Busy week for a little scorched Dragon

Caroline Morley, online picture researcher

(Image: SpaceX)

In little over a week, this capsule has made quite a journey.

First, the Dragon blasted off in the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on 22 May.

Then on 24 May, the crew on the International Space Station saw it pass by on a lower orbit as the Dragon's manoeuvrability was tested. The following day, despite some minor issues with the thermal and LIDAR range data, Dragon slowly approached the ISS and was grappled by crew members using the robotic Canadarm.

As the crew opened and unloaded the capsule, US astronaut Don Petit commented that it smelt: "Like the smell of a brand-new car."

Once Dragon had been emptied and then refilled for its return. Yesterday, it was released from the ISS and started its return journey to the surface. Dragon successfully negotiated its deorbit burn, deploying its parachutes and splashing down in the Pacific where it was collected by a ship.

Following over five years of development, SpaceX founder Elon Musk is now turning his attention to future private space ventures.

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