SpaceX's Dragon capsule blasted off for the International Space Station (ISS) Tuesday. The Dragon capsule, perched atop a Falcon 9 rocket, was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, part of NASA's Kennedy Space Centre complex, at 3:44 am (0744 GMT). It is the first non-government craft to attempt a docking with the orbiting station. NASA and SpaceX were relieved that the launch went off without a hitch, after having to scrap the first attempt on Saturday during the final countdown, according to a report of DPA. The Dragon's three-day journey to the ISS will include a series of complicated docking maneuvers in order to establish that it can safely attach to the orbiting station, before attempting to dock on the fourth day of its mission. This will be only the third flight for the Dragon. The most complex part of the mission will be the docking with the station, and NASA and SpaceX will take a series of steps to be sure the station and its resident astronauts are safe as the craft approaches. If any aspect of the approach looks to be compromised, the docking could be called off at the last minute. Finally, two astronauts aboard the ISS will use the station's robotic arm to grab the Dragon capsule and attach it to a port on the station. SpaceX intends to launch its first manned Dragon by 2015, but NASA says transport of astronauts would probably not be certified until 2017.
