Launched Rocket Ships Out 8,000 Pounds Of Food & Science Experiments To ISS

A rocket with supplies was successfully launched in Florida on Tuesday night after many failed attempts.

The rocket, Atlas V, carrying supplies and science experiments will make its trip from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to the six American and Russian astronauts in a trip of three days, according to Christian Science Monitor. 

The supplies were carried in a pressurized spacecraft called Cygnus and includes 8,000 pounds of food, equipment and scientific research for NASA, states Associated Press. 

"It's like Christmas when a supply craft arrives," Dan Tani, a former astronaut who now is senior director of mission cargo and operations for Orbital, said in an announcement. "It's always fun to watch another vehicle approach, and then it's like opening a box of goodies and finding some stuff you've been wanting and some surprises you didn't know about."

Some of the experiments come from governmental and commercial researchers who want to take advantage of the zero-gravity that the astronauts experience to test new adhesives. There will also be a fire experiment on board the Cygnus.

Launching these new supplies comes after many failed attempts. In October 2014, a rocket with Cygnus and ISS supplies exploded right after liftoff. The same goes for another rocket in June 2015, leaving the crew without fresh supplies for a year, until a successful launch was made in December 2015. 

"This is a risky business we're in," says Frank Demauro, a director at Orbital, in an interview with The Christian Science Monitor. "Failures do occur and they're extremely unfortunate," he says.

The supplies are due at ISS on Saturday.