Cargo-packed Dragon arrives at ISS
SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship arrived on 4 April at the International Space Station (ISS), packed with food, gear and science experiments for the astronauts living in orbit.
‘We have capture confirmed,’ a NASA commentator said, as the space station's robotic arm latched onto the gum-drop shaped spacecraft at 10:40am GMT, at a moment when the spacecraft was over the southern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Over the coming hours, the spacecraft will be brought closer and bolted onto the orbiting outpost. Astronauts will begin unpacking later on 4 April.
The cargo ship is carrying 2,600kgs of food, supplies and science experiments to enable the study of thunderstorms, anti-cancer drugs, and technology to remove debris in orbit.
The mission is the 14th for SpaceX under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to resupply the space station over multiple years.
Both the Dragon cargo vessel and the Falcon 9 booster that launched in on 2 April were flown to space before, marking the second time SpaceX has used a recycled spaceship and rocket to reach the ISS.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Amazon Project Kuiper emphasises user-friendly solutions for multi-domain connectivity (Studio)]()
Amazon Project Kuiper emphasises user-friendly solutions for multi-domain connectivity (Studio)
At DSEI 2025, Shephard's Alix Valenti spoke to Project Kuiper's Rich Pang about the importance of enabling seamless communication between allied forces such as NATO members in challenging operational environments.
-
![Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft]()
Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft
The procurement and acceleration production plans – some of which still await approval – across the air and land domains will aim to strengthen the operational needs of the Israel Defense Forces.
-
![US reforms its defence acquisition system to focus on commercial capabilities]()
US reforms its defence acquisition system to focus on commercial capabilities
This shift is planned to accelerate the procurement and fielding of capabilities. As part of this strategy, the US also intends modernise its regulations in an attempt to change its bureaucratic and risk-averse culture.
