Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

NASA clears SpaceX for cargo run to space station (30APR2012)
al-Reuters via Yahoo News ^ | 16APR2012 | Irene Klotz

Posted on 04/18/2012 6:32:20 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA on Monday cleared a cargo ship owned by Space Exploration Technologies for a test flight to the International Space Station that is scheduled to launch on April 30, NASA officials said.

The Dragon mission would be the first time a privately owned and operated vessel visits the space station, a $100 billion research laboratory owned by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada that orbits about 240 miles above Earth.

NASA is counting on Space Exploration Technologies, also known as SpaceX, and a second company, Orbital Sciences Corp., to keep the space station stocked with supplies and science experiments following the retirement of the space shuttles last year. The companies' combined contracts for cargo deliveries are worth $3.8 billion.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: cots; iss; launch; spacex

1 posted on 04/18/2012 6:32:35 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

Awesome! Hope everything works to plan.


2 posted on 04/18/2012 6:36:25 PM PDT by factoryrat (e are the producers, the creators. Grow it, mine it, build it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine
UPS to Florida, Space-X to orbit. Sounds like an infrastructure of communication to me.

/johnny

3 posted on 04/18/2012 6:39:09 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

More info here.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/120416frr/

Mission status center.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/status.html


4 posted on 04/18/2012 6:40:03 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

Pardon my ignorance - will this be a piloted flight, or an unmanned one??


5 posted on 04/18/2012 6:43:33 PM PDT by Uncle Ike (Rope is cheap, and there are lots of trees...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Ike

Unmanned. SpaceX to do about 14 or 17 flights of the Falcon 9 before it can be certified as man-rated.


6 posted on 04/18/2012 6:44:58 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Jack Hydrazine

They have come a long way since Omelek island in the Marshalls.


8 posted on 04/18/2012 6:49:28 PM PDT by 4mer Liberal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

Way cool. I hope they can make it work, both logistically and financially.


9 posted on 04/18/2012 6:51:42 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us one chance in three. More tea anyone?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

Great news! Now SpaceX better not drop the ball!


10 posted on 04/18/2012 6:52:23 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 4mer Liberal

They have come a long way. I am just wondering how long they’ll stay in California before they decide to move because the anti-business climate there is just too hostile.


11 posted on 04/18/2012 6:52:41 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

I know they’ve had their share of problems. Hope they got it right this time.


12 posted on 04/18/2012 6:56:19 PM PDT by Rockitz (This is NOT rocket science - Follow the money and you'll find the truth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine
I am just wondering how long they’ll stay in California before they decide to move because the anti-business climate there is just too hostile.

They already have their test facility in McGregor, Texas. But they are doing a lot of hiring at the Hawthorne, CA. It might just be easier to poach talent when you stay close to Vandenburg and JPL. Their want add is a couple of pages long.
13 posted on 04/18/2012 7:00:11 PM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine
Wow... it's going to be nail-biting time - as the following plan looks very demanding.

Whenever it flies, the SpaceX flight plan calls for the Dragon capsule to first fly a complex loop around the station to demonstrate that the craft's navigation and abort systems work as required./b>

Starting from a point 6.2 miles below and 37 miles behind the laboratory, Dragon's suite of flight computers will use data from navigation satellites to compute its position and maneuver itself to a point just 1.5 miles below and 25 miles behind the complex. A variety of tests will be performed before the Dragon drops back down to a point 6.2 miles below the station. Over the next day, the capsule will pull out in front of the station, loop up and over it and eventually return to a point 6.2 miles below and behind the laboratory.

If all of that goes well, the Dragon spacecraft will be cleared to move in for berthing on May 3, flying a stepwise automated approach to hold points 1.5 miles and .9 miles directly below the station. Assuming all systems are operating normally, the capsule will move up to a point just 820 feet below the station for another series of controllability tests. Only then will Dragon be cleared to approach to within about 30 feet.

14 posted on 04/18/2012 7:16:36 PM PDT by Ron C.
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

there and back without a hitch?

that would be a HUGE victory

good luck guys !!


15 posted on 04/18/2012 7:25:31 PM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ron C.

Considering how demanding the flight regime is I can now understand why this launch was delayed a bit.


16 posted on 04/18/2012 7:57:51 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson