Dragon Flying Solo

The underside of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft can be seen as it separates from the company's Falcon 9 rocket on its journey to the International Space Station.
The underside of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft can be seen as it separates from the company’s Falcon 9 rocket on its journey to the International Space Station for the 25th commercial resupply services mission. Liftoff occurred at 8:44 p.m. EDT from NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. Photo credit: NASA

SpaceX’s cargo Dragon spacecraft has separated from the Falcon 9 rocket, continuing its journey to the International Space Station to deliver a shipment of supplies and equipment critical for multiple science and research investigations that will take place in space.

Dragon is expected to arrive at the station Saturday, July 16, and will autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module, while NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Bob Hines monitor operations. The spacecraft will spend about one month attached to the orbiting laboratory before autonomously undocking and returning to Earth with research and return cargo.