SpaceX Falcon Rocket Takes Off With Supplies For the Space Station

The Falcon rocket from SpaceX is carrying heavy load of supplies to be used on the International Space Station.

SpaceX Falcon 9 remains on space launch complex 40 after a scrubed launch attempt to deliver supplies on 3 May postponed the launch.

(Photo: AP)

SpaceX on Saturday has launched a load of supplies to the International Space Station, running at full power following repairs.

A Falcon rocket blasted off from Florida, carrying a Dragon capsule with 5,500 pounds (2,500 kilograms) of goods. This recycled Dragon — which is making its second space trip — is due to arrive at the orbiting lab Monday.

The delivery is a few days late because of power shortages that cropped up first at the space station, then at the rocket-landing platform in the Atlantic. Both problems were quickly resolved.

SpaceX aims to land its first-stage booster on the ocean platform close to shore. The booster should have returned to Cape Canaveral, but SpaceX is still cleaning up from the April 20 accident that destroyed an empty crew Dragon capsule.

SpaceX confirmed that its Crew Dragon capsule was destroyed during an engine test last month, possibly causing a drag to the company's plan to bring astronauts into space this year.

Before firing the abort engines, "there was an anomaly and the vehicle was destroyed," said Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of Build and Flight Reliability at SpaceX at a press conference to brief the company's planned cargo launch mission.

The accident is likely to delay SpaceX and the US space agency NASA's plan to launch astronauts to the International Space Station by the end of year.