Photos: SpaceX Dragon Capsule Mated To Unpressurized Trunk for ISS Demo Flight

The SpaceX Dragon Capsule – slated to complete a demonstration flight to the International Space Station (ISS) in early 2012 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket – completed a significant processing milestone this week when the capsule was mated with the trunk that will carry unpressurized cargo to the ISS.

SpaceX will become the first U.S. commercial launch services company to successfully demonstrate and execute U.S. based cargo transport capability to the ISS through Dragon. Dragon is also the first commercially manufactured, human-rated transport vehicle, and may serve as a critical asset in the country’s next-generation manned space exploration initiatives.

Photo credit: SpaceX/Mike Brown