What Does The Success Of Dragon Mean?

PJMedia ^ | May 31st, 2012 | Rand Simberg

[NonZeroSum]

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule completed a nearly perfect flight this morning, splashing down as planned in the Pacific Ocean within a mile of its target. It replicated everything that the Gemini series of flights in the sixties did in a single flight — getting to orbit, performing a rendezvous with another object, closely approaching it, berthing to it, detaching from it, and entering the atmosphere to be retrieved by a ship — except that it was entirely unmanned (so no spacewalk — that will await flights with crew aboard). The only problem encountered was an issue with the LIDAR, the laser rangefinder that helps it determine how far away it was from the International Space Station (ISS). One of the two redundant LIDAR systems was being confused by a retroreflector on the Japanese Kibo module, and the software had to be adjusted for it, resulting in a slight delay in the berthing last Friday.

What is the significance of this successful flight?

[NonZeroSum]

This was a bigger deal even than people made of it.

[Michael Barnes]

Now it’s up to Congress to fully fund the request for commercial crew to enable the rapid development of even safer and competitive systems.

No.no.nonononono. Keep Congress the hell away from all this. Just let SpaceX do their thing and keep the pesky congress-critters away otherwise, corruption will reign supreme. Recall LightSquared? Yeah, congress would go there.

[Tex-Con-Man]

NASA will be thrilled...they can finally quit wasting money on space stuff and dedicate their entire budget to the impending global warming doom.

[daku]

This shows the way for other private entities to compete for government contracts

And the competition will lower the cost per pound lifted

[Cincinatus]

No.no.nonononono. Keep Congress the hell away from all this. Just let SpaceX do their thing and keep the pesky congress-critters away otherwise, corruption will reign supreme. Recall LightSquared? Yeah, congress would go there.

Ooooo, Michael. Looks like you didn't get the memo. New Space favors massive federal spending on space -- when it goes to their cronies and hobby shop purveyors.

For additional information, Google "Solyndra."

[null and void]

NASA will be thrilled...they can finally quit wasting money on space stuff and dedicate their entire budget to the impending global warming doom muslim outreach.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

NASA will be thrilled...they can finally quit wasting money on space stuff and dedicate their entire budget to the impending global warming doom.

And moslem outreach!

[Michael Barnes]

or additional information, Google "Solyndra."

Been there, done that; was forced to fund them (just like you! ;)

[B.O. Plenty]

Damn straight...private companies should have taken over space flight right after Neil Armstrong et al went to the moon and returned safely.

Of course, there is no way to prove it, but IMO, if this would have happened, there would be colonies on the Moon today, with regular prospecting trips to Mars and the asteroids.

Free enterprise always finds a way to do things better and cheaper.

[NonZeroSum]

This is nothing like Solyndra. Such comparisons are idiotic.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NonZeroSum. Enter the Dragon ping.

[RKV]

NASA (aka the fedgov) IS the customer for the Dragon/Falcon9 launch, and will be the customer for future missions to the ISS (International Socialism Station). Hopefully, private customers like Intelsat, which just bought a Falcon Heavy launch from VAFB, will buy some more, not just govspace.

[Tex-Con-Man]

[NonZeroSum]

SpaceX has a significant number of commercial launches booked, not counting Bigelow once they develop crew capability.