SpaceX Dragon capsule makes history as it arrives at Space Station "It looks like we got us a Dragon by the tail," said US astronaut Don Pettit, who was operating the Canadian-built robotic arm from the space station as it reached out and hooked on to the SpaceX capsule. Only Russia, Japan and Europe currently have supply ships that can reach the ISS. The United States lost that capacity when it retired its space shuttle fleet in 2011. The capsule blasted off atop the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Tuesday. Once again Space X has done it. They have just become the first private company to successfully launch their own spacecraft and get captured by the International Space Station robotic arm," said a NASA commentator. The capsule is carrying about 1,200 pounds of food, water, clothing and supplies for the station crew. It will be repacked with equipment to come back to Earth and depart the station on May 31. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California would occur later that day.