The SpaceX Dragon cargo spaceship successfully docked with the International Space Station early Tuesday morning after taking off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida the day before.

美国太空探索技术公司的“龙”号货运飞船在前一天从佛罗里达州肯尼迪航天中心起飞后，于周二凌晨成功与国际空间站对接。

While the spacecraft's departure from Earth was rocky -- being postponed twice over the weekend before its launch on Monday -- the automated docking went off without a problem at 5:54 a.m. EDT.

虽然飞船离开地球的过程很艰难——周一发射前的周末被推迟了两次——但自动对接在美国东部时间上午5点54分顺利完成。

The Dragon, which carried resupplies and experiments to the space station, is expected to spend about three weeks attached to the space station before it returns to Earth with cargo and research. The craft also delivered the two solar arrays to the ISS, which will increase the energy-production capabilities of the orbiting laboratory.

为空间站运送补给和实验物资的“龙”号飞船预计将在空间站上停留大约三周时间，然后带着货物和研究返回地球。飞船还向国际空间站运送了两个太阳能电池阵列，将提高轨道实验室的能源生产能力。

Also making the trip was the European Space Agency observer Thor, which will allow researchers to see and analyze the electrical activity of thunderstorms on Earth.

欧洲航天局的“雷神”号探测器也参加了这次旅行，它将使研究人员能够观察和分析地球上雷暴的电活动。

In another new experiment, researchers will be examining second-generation seeds and plants created and grown in space.

在另一项新的实验中，研究人员将检查在太空中创造和生长的第二代种子和植物。

NASA said scientists will assess "whether plants grown in space can transfer such adaptations to the next generation and, if so, whether a change continues through subsequent generations or stabilizes.

美国宇航局表示，科学家将评估“在太空中生长的植物是否能将这种适应性传递给下一代，如果可以，这种变化是否会在后代中持续或稳定下来。”

The investigation creates a second generation of plants using seeds previously produced in space and returned to Earth. Results could provide insight into how to grow multiple generations of plants to provide food and other services on future space missions.

这项研究利用之前在太空中生产并返回地球的种子培育了第二代植物。研究结果可以深入了解如何种植多代植物，为未来的太空任务提供食物和其他服务。”

NASA said it is investigation could support the development of strategies for adapting crops and other economically important plants to marginal and reclaimed habitats on Earth.

美国国家航空航天局表示，这项研究可以支持制定策略，使作物和其他经济上重要的植物适应地球上的边缘和再生栖息地。