Econintersect: It happened over the Indian Ocean at 12:02 pm Eastern U.S. time 25 
May 2012. The SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies) spacecraft Dragon was attached to the entry port of the International Space Station. This was the first commercial vehicle in history to successfully attach to the International Space Station. Previously only four governments – the U.S., Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency – had achieved this. The docking was accomplished just over two hours after the spacecraft was “captured” by a robotic arm on the Space Station. The spacecraft, which was launched three days earlier from Cape Canaveral in Florida, carried 1,000 pounds of equipment and supplies for delivery.
Click on picture for super large view of artist’s simulation of Dragon approaching Space Station.
Below see the video of the Mission Control center at SpaceX when the Space Station robot arm successfully connects to the Dragon spacecraft.
Here’s how NBC News reported the event:
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Sources:
- SpaceX Makes History (Company Website, 25 May 2012)
- First Commercial Rocket to Dock with Space Station (GEI News, 23 May 2012)
- SpaceX’s Dragon: NASA’s Bold New Mission (Daniel Stone, The Daily Beast, 25 May 2012)
