SpaceX Dragon set to blast off to space station

The privately-owned SpaceX will try a second time to send a Dragon capsule to the ISS

Published October 7, 2012 7:33PM (EDT)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A privately owned rocket is set to blast off Sunday night with a space station cargo ship named Dragon.

It will be the second time that the California-based SpaceX company tries to launch a Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.

Last May, a test flight went well. Now the real work is about to begin under a $1.6 billion contract between NASA and SpaceX. This will be the first of 12 resupply missions under that contract.

SpaceX raised the rocket, vertically, at its Cape Canaveral launch pad Sunday afternoon in advance of the 8:25 p.m. liftoff. Forecasters say there's a 40 percent chance storm clouds or rain could interfere.

NASA is counting on private business to restock the space station, now that the shuttles have retired.


By Marcia Dunn

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