SpaceX’s Crew Dragon unmanned craft successfully docked with the International Space Station on Sunday, a key milestone for chief executive officer Elon Musk, his team and the American space agency.
The rendezvous with the orbiting lab marks the first time that Crew Dragon, designed to eventually carry astronauts, has ever flown and raises the stakes for rival Boeing Co., which also has a contract with NASA as part of what is known as the agency’s "Commercial Crew" program.
No astronauts or humans were on board the maiden flight, which completed the initial link to the ISS about 5:51 a.m.
The rendezvous with the orbiting lab marks the first time that Crew Dragon, designed to eventually carry astronauts, has ever flown and raises the stakes for rival Boeing Co., which also has a contract with NASA as part of what is known as the agency’s "Commercial Crew" program.
No astronauts or humans were on board the maiden flight, which completed the initial link to the ISS about 5:51 a.m.