Dragon Splashdown Boosts Commercial Space

The Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Dragon capsule has concluded the first International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission flown by a U.S. commercial provider, finalizing a significant upswing in private sector capability to shoulder U.S. civil space activities, with a May 31 splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the southern California coast. The space freighter, with its 1,400-lb. return cargo, was spotted bobbing just a mile off target by a small SpaceX recovery fleet within minutes of the splashdown at 11:42 a.m. EDT, about 560 mi. southwest of Los Angeles. The vessel appeared to be in good condition, according to first reports ...