The first private spacecraft to visit the International Space Station made a dramatic return home to a precise splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. made history Friday by attaching the first private spacecraft to the international space station, a move that ultimately could change the economics and politics of U.S. space exploration.
A private unmanned spacecraft appeared to complete a series of maneuvers around the international space station flawlessly on Thursday, clearing the last major hurdle before a historic docking attempt planned for Friday.
The first private spacecraft aiming to dock with the international space station blasted off from Florida early Tuesday with split-second precision, but the biggest tests for the mission are still days ahead.