Gallery: How SpaceX Will Keep the Space Station in Business
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*The Dragon capsule being attached to the Falcon 9 rocket last Sunday.*
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*The Dragon spacecraft is lifted from its stand before mating with the Falcon 9 rocket. The capsule sits on top of the unpressurized trunk that can also carry cargo. The rectangular box on the trunk houses the solar array that is deployed shortly after the spacecraft reaches orbit. Only the capsule returns to Earth, while the trunk burns up upon re-entering the atmosphere.*
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*Dragon is attached to the Falcon 9 rocket.*
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*The complete Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft emerge from the SpaceX hangar for a rehearsal earlier this week.*
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*The entire rocket is assembled on its launch tower, which makes a trip of a few hundred meters to the launch pad.*
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*Once on the pad, the entire structure is lifted to the vertical position. The other tower is a lightning tower designed to serve as a conduit should a thunderstorm roll through while the rocket is on the pad.*
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*Almost there.*
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*The Falcon 9 and Dragon sit atop the launch pad during this week's final rehearsal. The building-like structure to the left of the rocket is the flame duct that directs the explosion during launch. The steel girder structure holds the sprinkler system that floods the duct to reduce vibration from the sound waves produced by the engines.*
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*The Falcon 9 rocket sits in the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral awaiting Sunday's launch.*
