Posted on 05/18/2014 6:05:35 PM PDT by equalator
"Very nice to have a vehicle that can take your science, equipment and maybe someday even humans back to Earth," Swanson told Mission Control.
The SpaceX Dragon is the only supply ship capable of returning items to Earth. The others burn up on re-entry. This was the fourth Dragon to bring back space station goods, with 3,500 pounds aboard; it came down off Mexico's Baja California coast.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I like that SpaceX has gotten where they are.
I don't even mind if they got some half-invisible helping hands from NASA, provided all OTHER private space companies get the same help.
I'm not thrilled with Elon Musk, but SpaceX isn't Tesla.
BUT
There's a long distance between a system that's a cargo ship, and a system that is man-rated, with life-support, and has all contingencies both planned for and practiced.
I hope SpaceX and others get there soon. But it will take work.
Yes, but it is powered by solar?
Supposedly Spacex will unveil their manned Dragon early next week. I can imagine getting it rated is a rush order from both SpaceX and NASA.
LOL, couldn’t resist. Think of the contribution to global warming!!!!
I shouldn’t joke. It’s a great accomplishment, and it should be kept positive.
I’m surprised this didn’t die with the military cutbacks, the space defense shield.
When did NASA begin exclusively using Ruski rocket motors? Do we not have that tech capacity any longer? Well, obviously SpaceX does make their own.
NASA is no longer the go-to guy, so it’s good to see others taking up the slack. There are asteroids in the belt between Mars and Jupiter made of solid titanium— a business could make a killing just exploiting a single one. The universe is one big candy store. It’s not like Star trek where a ship goes out to explore— in the early days, greed is going to motivate us, but I’m all for anything that gets us out there. The Enterprise can come later.
Yes, he's a character, but he makes ships, and I'll take that.
SpaceX is supposed to begin testing their man rated capsule this year with an abort test from a rocket on the pad followed by an abort test during a launch. They’re moving right along and Musk has said he will perform a manned flight with non NASA astronauts if necessary to get the capsule man rated. The problem is the NASA bureaucracy and the lengthy process required for certification.
As is the US Military.
Dr. Zefram Cochrane: You all look at me as if I'm some kind of... saint, or visionary or something!
Cmdr. William Riker: I don't think you're a saint, Doc. But you did have a vision. And now we're sitting in it.
Dr. Zefram Cochrane: You wanna know what my vision is? Dollar signs, money! I didn't build this ship to usher in a new era for humanity. You think I wanna see the stars? I don't even like to fly! I take trains! I built this ship so I could retire to some tropical island... filled with naked women. THAT'S Zefram Cochrane. THAT'S his vision. This other guy you keep talking about, this historical figure? I never met him. I can't imagine I ever will.
Cmdr. William Riker: Someone once said "Don't try to be a great man. Just be a man, and let history make its own judgements."
Dr. Zefram Cochrane: That's rhetorical nonsense. Who said that?
Cmdr. William Riker: [smiles at Cochrane] You did, ten years from now.
I would imagine there are already provisions in the
cargo capsule that would allow a man rated return in
an emergency. Probably not talked about, and certainly
an iffy proposition, but better than the alternative
in some instances.
“I noticed the solar panels. I guess whatever gets you there?”
Pretty much gives away Musk trying to make a political statement. No different than putting solar panels on the White House.
So far Dragon X has not transported ANY humans. Until it does, we have folks aboard the space station that need to come home
Perhaps, I hope, you just forgot to put on a <sarcasm> tag?!?
You really ought to look into the requirements for spacecraft before disparaging the solar panels on this vehicle.
Fossil fuels can not burn in space unless you supply oxygen, and even then the only really developed technology is rocket motors, which are not really suitable for producing electricity, which runs all of the electronics on this spacecraft.
Space is one of the applications where solar panels are both cost-effective and the best currently-available technology for electric power supply. This is not "global warming" related, or anyone's political agenda. Just plain old sound engineering practice.
While I am less than thrilled with Tesla, Elon Musk and SpaceX have given us the ability to give the Russians a swift boot in the rear end right when we need that capability the most.
Damn, I guess I can’t get away with acting dumb here. On other sites I would have been called every name in in the book, along with an absolute idiot.
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