The fourth launch in its NASA resupply contract for the International Space Station was successfully carried out by Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) using its Dragon CRS-4 spacecraft launched by its Falcon 9V1.1 rocket. The launch took place at 0552 GMT on 21 September from the Cape Canaveral launch site in Floridahad been delayed for one day by poor weather. The launch vehicle had differed from recent Falcon 9V1.1 launches in not having any landing legs to test reusable landing techniques.
Updated 23 September 2014: The Dragon CRS-4 craft rendezvoused with the ISS before being captured by the space station’s robot arm at 1052 GMT on 23 September 2014, ready for fully berthing later that day.
The ISS Rapid Scatterometer (ISS RapidScat) was inside the trunk of Dragon. It will be fitted to the outside of the ISS. Inside the Dragon cabin was the US Naval Research Laboratory spacecraft called SPINSAT, a small 57kg satellite to test solid fuel thrusters. This will be later deployed from the Kibo JEM module. Also carried aboard was a life sciences payload with 20 mice (jokingly dubbed “mousetronauts”), as well as a 3D printer.
