Photos: Delta 2 rocket blasts off with SMAP satellite

A SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule parachuted to an on-target splashdown Wednesday night west of Tampa, returning more than two tons of experiment specimens from the International Space Station, including live rodents and a dozen bottles of space-aged French wine.

The rescheduled mission comes following the April 9 scrub due to poor weather and a period on the Eastern Range marked by a noted lack of orbital launches. Liftoff from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is targeting Monday, April 28, at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 UTC).

United Launch Alliance technicians positioned the first stage for the next Atlas 5 rocket on a mobile launch platform Friday at Cape Canaveral, a key step in preparations for an October mission that will debut a new solid-fueled booster design.