A recycled SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts arrived at the International Space Station (ISS), the third high-flying taxi ride in less than a year for Elon Musk’s company. The Dragon capsule docked autonomously with the orbiting outpost more than 260 miles above the Indian Ocean. The new arrivals – representing the U.S., France and Japan – will spend six months at the space station. They will replace four astronauts who will return to Earth in their own Dragon capsule. It was the first time two SpaceX crew Dragons are parked there at the same time – practically side by side. Although this was SpaceX’s third crew flight for NASA, it was the first to use a vehicle that’s flown before, an essential part of Musk’s push to the moon and Mars. The Dragon capsule was used for SpaceX’s first crew launch last May, while the Falcon rocket soaring Friday hoisted crew two in November. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur – the commander and pilot of the returning Dragon – monitored their capsule’s flat screen computers as the space station loomed ever larger. They could have taken control if necessary, but the autonomous system did its job, much like a self-driving car. Also checking into the space station: France’s Thomas Pesquet and Japan’s Akihiko Hoshide. Both have lived there before, as has Kimbrough. It was the first station visit for McArthur.
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