Cargo ship reaches space station despite solar panel stalled

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – A Northrop Grumman capsule delivered several tons of supplies to the International Space Station on Wednesday, despite a solar panel stalling.

The shipment arrived two days after launch from Virginia. Only one of the freighter’s two circular solar panels opened after launch. Flight controllers tried unsuccessfully to open the stuck panel, but managed to get enough power for flight with just one.

As the capsule slowly approached, the space station crew took photos so engineers could understand what went wrong. NASA astronaut Nicole Mann then used the station’s robotic arm to grab the spacecraft, dubbed the SS Sally Ride, in honor of America’s first woman in space.

Below 8,200 pounds (3,700 kilograms) of supplies: braces needed for a spacewalk next week to expand the station’s power, as well as apples, blueberries, cheese, peanut butter and ice cream for the American, Russian and Japanese crews of seven.

Northrop Grumman is one of two companies that provide cargo for NASA. The other is SpaceX, which will launch a shipment later this month.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.