Dragon arrives at space station in historic 1st

Yahoo news ^ | 25 May 2012 | MARCIA DUNN

[mandaladon]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The privately bankrolled Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station for a historic docking Friday, captured by astronauts wielding a giant robot arm.

It succeeded in making the first commercial delivery into the cosmos.

U.S. astronaut Donald Pettit used the space station's 58-foot robot arm to snare the gleaming white Dragon after a few hours of extra checks and maneuvers. The two vessels came together while sailing above Australia.

"Looks like we've got us a dragon by the tail," Pettit announced from 250 miles up once he locked onto Dragon's docking mechanism.

"You've made a lot of folks happy down here over in Hawthorne and right here in Houston," radioed NASA's Mission Control. "Great job guys."

NASA controllers clapped as their counterparts at SpaceX's control center in Hawthorne, Calif. — including SpaceX's billionaire maestro, Elon Musk, of PayPal fame — lifted their arms in triumph and jumped out of their seats to exchange high fives.

This is the first time a private company has attempted to send a vessel to the space station, an achievement previously reserved for a small, elite group of government agencies. And it's the first U.S. craft to visit the station since the final shuttle flight last July.

The astronauts wasted no time getting the Dragon capsule into position for actual docking to the space station. The unmanned capsule is carrying 1,000 pounds of supplies on this unprecedented test flight.

[Ron C.]

I'm fascinated with space exploration. Since the beginning of landing two rovers on Mars I've watched those rovers every day - and you can still see the latest movements and activities of the rover Opportunity at this link, still doing research, still taking pictures and sending them back to earth.

And NASA is mere months away from sending a far more sophisticated rover to mars.

But, I seriously doubt that many alive today will ever see 'civilization' becoming space-faring - i.e. establishing colonies on other planets.

[Ron C.]

A P.S. to my last... you'll see posts there from 'Paolo' - the guy (one of) driving Opportunity around, who answers questions and tells folks about the rovers activities.

It's an astounding website.

[dragnet2]

Watch them get this 2000 pound vehicle on the Martian surface

I know you've seen this Ron, but others should watch the video at bottom of this post. It's very cool.

Taken during mobility testing, this image is of the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Curiosity lands on the surface of Mars in about 2 months, August, 2012.

I suggest others watch this Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Animation, about the mission. The video is only 11 minutes long, and well worth the watch.

Enlarge the screen and turn up the volume.

How they are going to get Curiosity onto the surface of Mars

The video which will be sent back from this vehicle traveling around the surface of Mars, will be spectacular.

[GeronL]

awesome

[DoughtyOne]

I’m actually glad that there are two businesses out there working toward these goals. These could be the start of much much more than we realize. With a little experience, these firms may blossom into full blown space access for man as well. Looking forward to the next few years.

[Vaquero]

I watched it for hours from 150 meters away, until final berth. Veteran US Astronaut Don Pettit, (who discovered that microgravity can turn a field of dust into a moon or planet, some years ago on another mission), captured it with the Canada arm, and lowered it into its berth...and was tightened down.

slow and steady...pretty cool.

[Da Bilge Troll]

Gov’t and the Left will attempt to control it and get their cut.

The government will most likely continue to control the boosters. After all, the main difference between an orbital booster and an ICBM is the payload.

[Cementjungle]

The capsule comes back later with about 1300 lbs of trash, old equipment, etc....

I thought they could just send their trash to the giant incinerator in the sky (just jettison it toward the earth and let it burn up in the atmosphere).

[JRandomFreeper]

One of the major problems with space is all the crap we've dumped up there over the last 50 years. It's still in orbit. Dead satellites, paint chips, a friggin' tool bag, lots of junk. Danger to navigation. Better to bring it back in a controlled manner.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

The government will most likely continue to control the boosters.

Only to the extent of flight authorizations, etc....

Actual technical control of the Falcon 9 during the launch was from Space-X.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

I’m actually glad that there are two businesses out there working toward these goals

I think there are 3, but yes it's good to see some new blood. The old big commercial concerns that have launched most satellites are too slow and set in their ways to do things quickly and cheaply.

That seems to be the difference between firm fixed-price contracts and cost plus contracts.

/johnny

[DoughtyOne]

That does seem to be the case. Thanks Johnny.

[DoughtyOne]

BTW, thanks for mentioning there are three. Great.

[hattend]

Uh oh. Space X is doomed...Obama is in da house.

Obama is the anti-Midas. Everything he touches turns to s#it.

[JRandomFreeper]

After thinking about it a little more, one of the big differences in the new companies, and the old big guys like General Dynamics, Lockheed, etc.... is a difference in outlook from then and now.

Today, young people don't have jobs for life. They have careers for life, and move from job to job, following what they love and, of course, the money.

The guys at Space-X obviously don't have an investment in building an empire. Hell, their control center is commercial computers on office tables.

Overhead stuff, like fancy consoles, adds up, and doesn't add value to getting something launched.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

Obama is in da house.

LOL! that pic is taken at the USAF Station in Florida. You don't think Space-X is dumb enough to invite him to their facility do you?

/johnny

[ScreamingFist]

The alternative is the long, slow stagnation, contraction and eventual death of civilization. Human beings don't do "sustainable"-it's not in out nature and never will be. We long to build, to grow, to excel. We always want new, and we always want more. To thrive we need more space and more stuff. The only place left to get it is Up There. We will go up or we will go down. It is really that simple.

Well said. Extremely well said...

[boop]

One of the stupidest things a POTUS did was sign the "outer space treaty". I think it was LBJ. Basically nobody is "allowed" in space unless there's no profit/ ownership involved.

For my money it would be sweet if the first person to land on Mars OWNS it.

Talk about an ego boost. You own the Portland Trailblazers? Hah! I own a friggin' planet. Suck it!

[kabar]

This scheduling of this is no accident. I watched the head of NASA today extolling Obama's plan to privatize space exploration. The US no longer has a way to transport its people into space and must depend upon the Russians to do it. It will be a long time before we can ever be truly number 1 in manned space exploration.

Today was the day that Obama's vision of the American space program was declared a triumph. Look for the MSM to make a big deal of this while our shuttles are now museum pieces.

[kabar]

Dream on. This is all Obama BS. He has destroyed our space program. Folks like Neil Armstrong have been very critical of Obama’s vision for our space program. This has nothing to do with free enterprise. It is a scam and part of crony capitalism.

[mulder1]

Civilization: The West and the rest is a new show on public television that explains why free enterprise and competition is the reason why the Western World has become the leader and the Eastern world stayed stagnant.

[Windflier]

Video: SpaceX employees standing outside mission control at SpaceX Headquarters in Hawthorne, California, watching the successful stage separation...

Did my heart a world of good to watch that. That's the real America.

[Windflier]

Human beings don't do "sustainable"-it's not in out nature and never will be. We long to build, to grow, to excel. We always want new, and we always want more. To thrive we need more space and more stuff. The only place left to get it is Up There. We will go up or we will go down. It is really that simple.

No worries, J. The human race will do what it's always done, and will one day own the stars. Like you said, it's in our genes to go bigger, better, farther. Space X is only just the start.

[RedMDer]

[JRandomFreeper]

Look for the MSM to make a big deal of this while our shuttles are now museum pieces.

North American/Rockwell was the prime contractor for the shuttle.

Where were they in funding, designing, operating, and making history today? On the sidelines, because it wasn't big-gov cost plus contract.

I'm glad the old way of doing things is going away. It had it's place, and we stand on the shoulders of giants, but big, ancient aerospace companies can't deal with today's world.

/johnny

[berdie]

I’m sure there are lots of politics and blah, blah, blah involved.

But to tell the truth, I was so excited about this. The government being out of things maybe the best thing that ever happened. (Much to Barry’s consternation)

Move over rover..let SpaceX take over...no pun intended.

[TLI]

[dragnet2]

[dragnet2]

4/2011 Russian Resistance to SpaceX Dragon Docking

“We will not issue docking permission unless the necessary level of reliability and safety is proven,” said Alexei Krasov, head of the human spaceflight department of Roscosmos. “So far we have no proof that those spacecraft duly comply with the accepted norms of spaceflight safety.”

http://news.discovery.com/space/russian-resistance-to-spacex-dragon-docking-110427.html

Of course, it was Russia who stood to gain by blocking SpaceX.

Safety? That's odd, as they seemed to have little regard for safety prior to this.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX

” In 2006, NASA awarded the company a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract to design and demonstrate a launch system to resupply cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). On 9 December 2010, the launch of the COTS Demo Flight 1 mission, SpaceX became the first privately funded company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft. On 22 May 2012, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carried the unmanned Dragon capsule into space, marking the first time a private company has sent a spacecraft to the space station. The unmanned, cone-shaped capsule became the first privately built and operated vehicle to ever dock to the orbiting outpost”

I’m so glad Obama had the foresight to award this contract in 2006.
.”

[kabar]

The reality is that these companies will be heavily subsidized by the government. It is just more crony capitalism. Now Obama and the Dems will fund their buddies just like they are doing with the Green Energy subsidies. And let's see how many of these jobs migrate overseas.

The mom and pop space businesses will not be any great saviour to what used to be our preeminent position in space. There are enormous national security issues involved. The Chinese are not going to privatize their efforts.

We will see if SpaceX goes the way of Tesla Motors.

[dragnet2]

Your response hit the 10 ring.

[kabar]

You should have listened to Charles Bolden's speech today. I am sure given the number of times Obama was praised for his vision that the speech was written in the WH. No doubt Obama will be visiting prior to November to claim credit with a photo op.

If you recall, Obama was criticized widely for the dismantling of NASA and its scientific team with mass dismissals. Now Bolden says that those jobs will shift over to the private companies. Obama had it right all along.

[dragnet2]

Bears repeating:

This scheduling of this is no accident. I watched the head of NASA today extolling Obama's plan to privatize space exploration.

” In 2006, NASA awarded the company a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract to design and demonstrate a launch system to resupply cargo to the International Space Station (ISS)"

Lurkina.n.Learnin: I’m so glad Obama had the foresight to award this contract in 2006.

[kabar]

Either way Musk has earned the drink. His company, SpaceX, is one of a handful that President Obama hopes will service the space station now that the shuttle is gone. Success would quiet critics and cement a $1.6 billion contract with NASA, making SpaceX the go-to taxi for supplies and, eventually, astronauts. It would also make Musk a 21st-century robber baron, extracting cash from the cosmos. With $4 billion in contracts and more than 40 other launches already booked, SpaceX has outpaced competition from companies backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, not to mention aerospace stalwarts like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

This fall he’s hoping for another term for Obama, the best friend of private space, Musk says. “Obama seems to care about inspiring events in the country,” Musk says. Romney, on the other hand: “He’s got that whole business-school thing going on, which I’m not a huge fan of. It’s hard to make a business case for inspiration.” For now Musk has more immediate worries, like the performance of his rocket with the whole world watching. Isn’t he worried he’ll suffer a Kim Jong-un-like fizzle? Nah, Musk says. Believe him. “Elon has huge steel balls,” his ex-wife notes on her blog. “He truly does.”

[kabar]

See my post #85. Musk is a staunch Obama supporter. He will get government contracts and then funnel money back into Obama’s campaign coffers. This is just more crony capitalism. It is destroying this country. Government already controls 40% of our economy. This is really not privitization of space any more than the defense industry is private.

[dragnet2]

What ya conveniently left out is and he also contributed to the Republican party and Tea Party people, such as Rubio, among others etc.

Private industry greases their own wheels and contributes when they feel the need.

Ya think this is something new Mr. kabar?

[dragnet2]

This scheduling of this is no accident. I watched the head of NASA today extolling Obama's plan to privatize space exploration.

” In 2006, NASA awarded the company a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract to design and demonstrate a launch system to resupply cargo to the International Space Station (ISS)"

Who was President of the United States in 2006 Mr. kabar?

[Windflier]

Russian Resistance to SpaceX Dragon Docking

“We will not issue docking permission unless the necessary level of reliability and safety is proven,”

Ok, I'm a bit slow on the uptake here....the Russians didn't actually prevent Dragon from docking with the ISS, did they? Or, was there some international drama that wasn't closely covered by the press?

Great pic, by the way. Thanks.

[Windflier]

How they are going to get Curiosity onto the surface of Mars

Thanks for posting the link to the video. My boys and I just watched the whole thing. Bloody fantastic.

[dragnet2]

Russian Resistance to SpaceX Dragon Docking

See the date.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Mr Musk may be on the wrong side of the political isle but this is the precursor to a privatized space program. Burt Rutan, Richard Banson and Elon Musk are pioneers. Obama is just a politician patting himself on the back.

[Windflier]

One of the stupidest things a POTUS did was sign the "outer space treaty". I think it was LBJ. Basically nobody is "allowed" in space unless there's no profit/ ownership involved.

As if the temporary Chief Executive of one earthbound country could dictate terms the rest of the planet, for the exploration and exploitation of the entire universal space outside this pitiful little mud ball.

I simply smile in amusement.

[SuziQ]

#3 son has been keeping us apprised of the developments. He’s thrilled that we can get materials to the Space Station without having to pay the Russians to do it.

[Windflier]

It will be a long time before we can ever be truly number 1 in manned space exploration.

Perhaps. The next US president could easily reinvigorate our manned and unmanned space programs by executive fiat. No different than what Obama's done.

The American people support our space programs. Obama is just doing the typical hard left thing by squelching those dreams in favor of redirecting US dollars toward the welfare/nanny state. It's not the popular tack, and he will find that out in November.

[hopespringseternal]

Some folks on the right are as bad as the left -- everything boils down to politics.

If Elon Musk has a brain cell in his head, he has to realize how intensely political Obama is. Musk says the wrong thing and his fat NASA contract will go away in a heartbeat. And playing kissy-face with him will open up the possibility of Obama taking his boot off NASA's neck and letting them do some real space exploration. Which will create and even bigger market for Musk.

That doesn't mean he is not a democrat or that he would not vote for Obama. But I doubt even under the best of circumstances could he enjoy the same sort of quid pro quo under Romney. At least I hope not.

Even democrats do good things occasionally. Especially when you can keep them out of Washington.

[Windflier]

This is all Obama BS. He has destroyed our space program.

I wouldn't go that far. Obama has merely slowed or halted it, temporarily. The American people love and believe in our space program. It's one of the few great and positive things that our government does, and people around the world wholeheartedly support it.

The US space program will go on. Obama will not.

[dragnet2]

Agree.

I have some personal interest in astronomy and space exploration. I support NASA and private industry like SpaceX.

It’s just a shame these things always seem to be politicized. But it seems that’s the reality of the political madness here on earth.

[hoosierham]

Didn’t the Puritans run away?

[JRandomFreeper]

The reality is that these companies will be heavily subsidized by the government. It is just more crony capitalism.

The reality is that the Atlas V, built by Lockheed and Boeing is heavily subsidized by the government. It is just more crony capitalism with cost plus contracts.

The only thing that changed between Space-X and ULA is the procurement process. Space-X can put pounds in orbit for NASA cheaper than Lockheed and Boeing do.

Your old pocket protector cost plus government contracts are gone. It's better and cheaper this way, and NASA gets more bang in space for our dollars.

NASA never built a spacecraft. It's all been private contractors, from day 1.

/johnny