Private spacecraft arrives at international space station

The private spacecraft Cygnus docked successfully at the International Space Station Sunday, on a US resupply mission that had been delayed several times. 

 

It was the first resupply mission carried out by Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft, after a test flight in September, NASA said. 

 

In the coming days, the space station team will unload 1,260 kilograms of supplies including science experiments, food, spare parts, and experiment hardware, as well as late Christmas presents, according to one media report. 

 

The spacecraft lifted off on an Antares rocket from a NASA site in Virginia on Thursday for its second trip to the station. 

 

The launch was delayed nearly four weeks by various problems, including glitches at the space station, last week's record cold weather and a solar flare.

 

-Sapa-dpa