The SpaceX Dragon capsule made a successful rendez-vous with the International Space Station (ISS) on 23rd February when the craft was captured by the ISS robotic arm prior to being berthed to the Station’s Harmony module. It is the 10th operational resupply mission to the ISS for the Dragon capsule, which is loaded with nearly 5,500 lbs of cargo and supplies for the orbital complex.

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet grappled Dragon at 5:44 a.m. EST (1044 GMT) as the ISS flew over the northwest coast of Australia.

Dragon’s approach manœuvre was completed without incident at the second attempt, following a navigation software glitch the previous day that led to an abort during the vessel’s final approach to the ISS.

Over the coming month, crew members will unload the spacecraft and reload it with cargo to return to Earth.

The mission began four days earlier when SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A. This marked SpaceX’s first launch from Kennedy Space Center’s historic pad, and the first launch from LC-39A since July 8, 2011 when Atlantis lifted off for the final flight of the Shuttle programme.

The first stage booster flew back to a pinpoint landing at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.