SpaceX launches ants, avocados, robot to space station

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A SpaceX shipment of ants, avocados and a human-sized robotic arm is on its way to the International Space Station. A recycled Falcon rocket blasted off early Sunday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After hoisting the Dragon capsule, the first-stage booster landed upright on SpaceX’s newest ocean platform. The capsule should arrive at the orbiting lab Monday. It’s delivering more than 4,800 pounds of supplies and experiments for the seven station astronauts.