SpaceX launches payload of 'muscle mice,' barley grains to space station

SpaceX launched a 3-ton cargo payload to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, which included barley grains for a beer experiment, mice for muscle-building research and a robot designed to show empathy. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the recycled Dragon capsule filled with the goodies lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., around 12:30 p.m. The capsule is expected to arrive at the station housing six astronauts -- three Americans, two Russians and one Italian -- on Sunday. SpaceX recovered the new booster on a barge just off the coast in the Atlantic several minutes following liftoff so that it could be reused. SpaceX employees in Southern California cheered when the booster landed, and again a few minutes later when the capsule reached orbit.