(SPACE.com) A glitch with a Russian spacecraft has helped clear the way for a private capsule's first contracted cargo flight to the International Space Station early next month, NASA officials say. <\/p>\n
Russia's Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft was originally set to launch three astronauts toward the station on Oct. 15. But the Soyuz's liftoff will be delayed by about a week while technicians install a replacement part to fix a technical issue, Russian space officials announced Sunday (Sept. 16). <\/p>\n
The window is thus open fairly wide for SpaceX's Dragon capsule to blast off in the first two weeks of October. <\/p>\n
\"The new launch date will help de-conflict the station's schedule for the upcoming launch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft,\" NASA's Amiko Kauderer said in an International Space Station mission commentary yesterday (Sept. 17). <\/p>\n
Dragon could lift off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as early as Oct. 9 or Oct. 10, officials have said. California-based SpaceX holds a $1.6 billion contract with NASA for 12 robotic cargo runs to the orbiting lab, and October's flight will be the first of these 12. <\/p>\n
But it won't mark the capsule's first visit to the space station. In May, Dragon became the first private spacecraft ever to dock with the $100 billion orbiting complex during a historic demonstration flight. <\/p>\n
NASA also signed a $1.9 billion contract with Virginia-based firm Orbital Sciences Corp. to make eight robotic supply runs to the station with its Cygnus spacecraft and Antares rocket. Orbital plans to fly a demonstration mission to the orbiting lab later this year. <\/p>\n
Three astronauts departed the space station over the weekend, leaving just three crewmembers aboard the 430-ton orbiting complex. The Soyuz TMA-06A will bring the current Expedition 33 to its full complement of six crewmates, delivering NASA astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin to the station. <\/p>\n
Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook andGoogle+. <\/p>\n
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