Gallery: Antares rocket explodes

Loaded with supplies to keep the International Space Station’s crew fed, clothed and busy with new science projects, a Cygnus cargo vessel sped into orbit today atop an Atlas 5 rocket.

The astronauts living aboard the International Space Station snagged a free-flying commercial cargo ship filled with a bounty of supplies and new science this morning, pulling the vessel aboard as the two craft flew in formation 252 miles above the world.

A Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo ship arrive at the International Space Station Monday carrying around 4.1 tons of supplies, experiments and small research CubeSats. The automated spacecraft was captured by the station’s robotic arm at 4:10 a.m. EST (0910 GMT) Monday to close out a two-day flight from a launch pad in Virginia.