ISS becomes the 'spaceship' on Earth's orbit

The successful access of the Dragon to the ISS International Space Station has turned the station into a historic "dock" on Earth's orbit.

The successful launch of SpaceX's Dragon space transport ship on the International Space Station (ISS) on April 8 opened a new phase for a historic "dock" on Earth's orbit , with numbers spacecraft anchored the most ever. Earlier, Orbital ATK's Cygnus ship was launched on ISS March 22.

Although the Dragon spacecraft and Cygnus have made many flights to space, this is the first time the two ships are anchored at the ISS at the same time.

Dragon space transport ship before being launched into orbit.(Source: NASA).

For Dragon, this is the eighth flight. It was launched from Cape Canaveral air base, carrying experimental equipment and goods needed for crew members on the ISS station.

The flight was made after a Russian Progress class space transport ship delivered additional goods to the station and only a few weeks after a Russian Soyuz class spacecraft added three crews to the station. .

With the arrival of the Dragon, the ISS station will "set a record" as the largest number of spacecraft anchored there at the same time since 2011, with 6 ships including Dragon, Cygnus, 2 Soyuz and 2 Ship Progress.

"The fact that Dragon and Cygnus first anchored side by side on the universe marked an important milestone for NASA's partnership with US companies to deliver goods to the ISS," said Kirk Shireman, Program Manager. NASA ISS said.

SpaceX Company took delivery supplies to the ISS station for NASA for the first time in 2012. Meanwhile, Orbital ATK Company transported goods to ISS by Cygnus since 2013.