Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s (SpaceX) Dragon spacecraft successfully completed the company’s second cargo flight to the International Space Station (ISS) Tuesday afternoon when it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California, Mexico, according to a NASA statement.
The mission was the second of at least 12 cargo resupply trips SpaceX plans to make to the ISS through 2016 under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. SpaceX is one of two companies to build and test new cargo spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. Orbital Sciences [ORB] is the other company participating in COTS. A demonstration flight of Orbital’s Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft to the station is planned for later this year.
Dragon launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on March 1, carrying about 1,268 pounds of supplies and investigations. It returned about 2,668 pounds of science samples, equipment and education activities.