SpaceX to Launch Spacecraft on May 7: Hot Trends

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Popular searches on the Internet Friday include SpaceX after the company announced it will launch a cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station on May 7. It will be the first privately funded spacecraft sent to the station.

It will also be the company's second demonstration launch in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation (COTS) program. SpaceX said NASA and the Cape Canaveral Air Force station have approved the target launch date for the mission. It was originally scheduled for April 30 before being delayed to May 3, and now May 7.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule with cargo for the station is scheduled to lift off at 9:38 a.m. Eastern time from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Once it reaches the International Space Station, crew at the station will use its robotic arm to dock the capsule with the cargo. The SpaceX Dragon will then bring a payload back to Earth.

Since NASA ended its space shuttle program last year, it has turned to work with private companies like SpaceX on developing commercial spaceflights. SpaceX, run by PayPal and Tesla Motors(TSLA) co-founder Elon Musk, plans to conduct manned flights to the International Space Station by 2015.

LinkedIn(LNKD) is trending as the networking Web site released its long-awaited first Apple(AAPL) iPad app.

The app, which is LinkedIn's first available for tablets, arrives two years after it first hit the iPhone. The iPad app is a remodeled version of the iPhone app -- better suited for viewing on a larger screen and with an updated design. The main screen features three options: Updates, Profiles and Inbox. In the "Updates" section, where the design is reminiscent of Flipboard, news stories shared by your friends are displayed. The app also collects information from your Google or Exchange calendar, so you can view your agenda for the day. The app is available now in the iTunes App Store.

LinkedIn said 22% of its traffic now comes from mobile devices.

Okinawa is another popular search. The U.S. government and Japan reached an agreement to remove 9,000 U.S. Marines and their families from Okinawa, Japan.