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International Space Station

This image provided by NASA-TV shows the SpaceX Dragon commercial cargo craft taken from Canadarm2's video camera as Dragon approaches the International Space Station, Friday, May 25, 2012. In foreground is a portion of Canadarm2. Expedition 31 Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to grapple the supply ship Friday morning with the berthing to the Earth-facing side of the station’s Harmony node following. Dragon is scheduled to spend about a week docked with the station before returning to Earth on May 31 for retrieval. (AP Photo/NASA)

Dragon arrives at space station in historic first

Last updated Friday, May 25, 2012 - 11:37am

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The privately bankrolled Dragon capsule made a historic arrival at the International Space Station on Friday, captured by astronauts wielding a giant robot arm.

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The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket lifts off from space launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., early Tuesday, May 22, 2012. This launch marks the first time, a private company sends its own rocket to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

SpaceX successfully flies by International Space Station

W.J. Hennigan Los Angeles Times

Last updated Thursday, May 24, 2012 - 9:33am

While orbiting Earth at about 17,000 mph, SpaceX's Dragon capsule came within 1.5 miles of the International Space Station in preparation for its historic hook-up scheduled for later this week.

The fly-by, confirmed by NASA in its webcast, is a critical step for the company, officially known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., and its goal of becoming the world's first private firm to dock a craft with the space station.

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Private rocket blasts off for space station

Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

Last updated Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - 10:32am

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A first-of-its-kind commercial supply ship rocketed toward the International Space Station following a successful liftoff early Tuesday, opening a new era of dollar-driven spaceflight.

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SpaceX will try 1st private cargo run again Tues.

Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

Last updated Monday, May 21, 2012 - 1:57pm

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Private rocket maker SpaceX aimed for a Tuesday liftoff after fixing the engine problem that caused a launch abort over the weekend, stalling the world's first commercial space station supply flight.

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SpaceX launch to space station aborted

W.J. Hennigan Los Angeles Times

Last updated Saturday, May 19, 2012 - 9:42pm

LOS ANGELES — The first mission by a private company to the International Space Station was aborted before dawn Saturday at Cape Canaveral, Fla., when computers detected an anomaly in one of the rocket’s engines and automatically shut down the launch sequence.

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SpaceX rocket launch aborted in last second

Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

Last updated Saturday, May 19, 2012 - 7:01am

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. A new private supply ship for the International Space Station remained stuck on the ground Saturday after rocket engine trouble led to a last-second abort of the historic flight.

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Several companies vying to fly to space station

Contributed The Associated Press

Last updated Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 2:45pm

Several companies are working on rockets and spacecraft that could ferry supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station, now that the shuttle program is over.

A brief look at each:

* Alliant Techsystems Inc., or ATK, headquartered in Arlington, Va., with aerospace division in Magna, Utah. Developing Liberty launch system including rocket and passenger spacecraft. Test flights to begin in 2014, with possible first manned launch in 2015.

* Blue Origin in Kent, Wash. Run by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

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NASA rooting for SpaceX rocket flight to space station

Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

Last updated Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 2:46pm

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- For the first time, a private company will launch a rocket to the International Space Station, sending it on a grocery run this weekend that could be the shape of things to come for America's space program.

If this unmanned flight and others like it succeed, commercial spacecraft could be ferrying astronauts to the orbiting outpost within five years.

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Private company ready to launch a new frontier for space travel

W.J. Hennigan Los Angeles Times

Last updated Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 6:43am

LOS ANGELES — For the last half-century, space flight has been the domain of the world’s superpowers.

All that is set to change as soon as Saturday when SpaceX, the private rocket company in Hawthorne, Calif., will attempt to launch a spaceship with cargo into orbit and three days later dock it with the International Space Station.

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In this March 27, 2012, photo, Charles Simonyi, the only civilian to visit the International Space Station twice, poses for a photo next to the Soyuz TMA-14 descent module that took him to the International Space Station on his second trip into space, at the Seattle’s Museum of Flight’s new space gallery, which is named after him. The Microsoft billionaire is still obsessed with space, but has no plans to take a third trip, instead he's focused on publishing a physics book written by his father and continuing to work with the museum. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Space tourist just one way to describe Microsoft billionaire

Donna Gordon Blankinship The Associated Press

Last updated Tuesday, April 3, 2012 - 9:54am

SEATTLE -- Charles Simonyi may still be described as a space tourist even though the Microsoft billionaire has no plans to take a third vacation on the International Space Station and hasn't hung out in outer space for a few years.

He's still obsessed with space and is heavily involved in the Seattle Museum of Flight's new space gallery, which is named in the philanthropist's honor.

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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lift off from Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., at 10:43 a.m. EST, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010.

SpaceX to launch cargo run to space station

Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

Last updated Monday, March 19, 2012 - 10:10am

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The International Space Station should be getting its first commercial cargo shipment in early May.

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In this Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 image made from video provided by NASA, commander of the International Space Station, Daniel Burbank, shakes hands with Robonaut aboard the station in orbit around the earth. It's the first handshake ever between a human and a humanoid in space. NASA's Robonaut was launched aboard space shuttle Discovery last February. Crews have been testing it to see how it one day might help astronauts perform space station chores. (AP Photo/NASA)

Astronaut and robot shake hands in space

Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

Last updated Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 4:21pm

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Astronauts and robots have united in space with a healthy handshake.

The commander of the International Space Station, Daniel Burbank, shook hands Wednesday with Robonaut. It's the first handshake ever between a human and a humanoid in space.

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NASA OKs Feb. launch of private space station trip

Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

Last updated Friday, December 9, 2011 - 1:15pm

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A private space company will attempt the first-ever commercial cargo run to the International Space Station in February.

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Russian cargo ship launched to space station

Vladimir Isachenkov The Associated Press

Last updated Sunday, October 30, 2011 - 4:26pm

MOSCOW — A Russian cargo ship was launched successfully to the International Space Station on Sunday, clearing the way for the next manned mission and easing concerns about the station’s future after a previous failed launch.

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Space station an engineering marvel

Kelli Hadley Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Last updated Friday, October 14, 2011 - 4:09pm

MOSCOW, Idaho -- The ability to construct an international space station is a level of technology that's "never been seen before," former NASA astronaut John Phillips said Thursday night at a lecture in the University of Idaho Law Building Courtroom.

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