CAPE CANAVERAL: SpaceX launched a load of supplies to the International Space Station on Saturday following a pair of unusual power delays.

A Falcon rocket raced into the pre-dawn darkness, 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 booster, meanwhile, streaked to a smooth landing on a recovery ship just offshore. SpaceX couldn’t resist the Star Wars Day connection on Saturday is May 4.

“Dragon is now officially on the way to the space station,” the SpaceX launch commentator announced once the capsule reached orbit and its solar wings unfurled. “Until next time, May the Fourth be with you.” The delivery is a few days late because of electrical power shortages that cropped up first at the space station, then at SpaceX’s rocket-landing platform in the Atlantic. Both problems were quickly resolved with equipment replacements: a power-switching unit in orbit and a generator at sea.

Minutes after liftoff, SpaceX landed its brand new, first-stage booster on the ocean platform roughly 10 miles (16 kilometres) off the coast, considerably closer than usual with the sonic booms easily heard at the launch site.

“That looked really, really cool in the night sky,” said Hans Koenigsmann, a SpaceX vice president who left his launch control seat to run outside and watch.

The booster likely will be reused for SpaceX’s next station supply run. That’s why the company and Nasa halted Friday’s countdown at the last minute so the recovery ship could be repaired and have full power for the landing operation. It was the first time a launch like this was nixed by rocket-landing concerns.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2019