NASA/SPACE-X mission update(s)

[lostdwarf]

The first privately owned company to launch a rocket into space is due a flypast for inspections of the International Space Station today and due to soft dock with the Station tomorrow. This will be the first time America has been able to travel to the space station without Russias Soyuz spcaecraft since decommissioning their own space shuttle fleet.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon Capsule lifted off at 3:44 a.m. EDT Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During the flight, the Dragon capsule will conduct a series of checkout procedures to test and prove its systems, including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the space station.

One of the primary objectives for the flight is a flyby of the space station at a distance of approximately 1.5 miles to validate the operation of sensors and flight systems necessary for a safe rendezvous and approach.

The spacecraft also will demonstrate the ability to abort the rendezvous. Once Dragon successfully proves these capabilities, it will be cleared to berth with the space station.

All updates and live video of the mission in the link below.
http://www.nasa.gov/...X_Coverage.html

 

[Cyan]

NASA says it's a test for future Commercial flights.
Which commerce can it be? I guess it's not for transportation from one space station to another (postal service?), but more a private company to provide transportation from earth to space for NASA? But there's currently only the ISS as possible destination. it's kind of limited for commercing, no?

Only official space agencies have access to ISS?
Or maybe private companies will be able to rent it to make their own experimentations in space?

 

[Pong20302000]

they got the mile high club
what about the zero-g club

 

[Jamstruth]

The idea is that it proves that we could privatise spaceflight without fears. We don't necessarily need NASA to have a new ship, we could pay other people to send our astronauts up. With that companies will compete to have the cheapest. They might even apply to set up their own Space Stations and astronaut training facilities that researchers could pay to use. It would have to be heavily regulated by NASA but its a possibility. This is only the start.

There's already talk of mining asteroids using robots which is a big incentive for companeis. They can make money off actual raw materials rather than just charging for a service.

 

[Pong20302000]

didnt i read in like 2010 you could actually have a one man spaceship built for $100,000
why arnt people doing this

 

[jrk190]

didnt i read in like 2010 you could actually have a one man spaceship built for $100,000
why arnt people doing this

They're saving up to build that USS Enterprise

 

[lostdwarf]

Some inspirational tidbits for you all:

Falcon 9 plus Dragon capsule - current mission = unmanned resupply and waste collection/disposal.
Falcon 9 plus Dragon capsule - next mission = MANNED x7 humans to orbit.
Falcon 9 plus Dragon Capsule - planned mission = manned x7 humans = ISS new crew, take old crew home.
Each launch can be supported by second Falcon 9 PLUS HEAVY lifter. Can lift largest mass into earth orbit of any space vehicle in history.

saved the best till last:

FALCON 9 IS DESIGNED FOR INTERPLANETARY EXPLORATION/EXPLOITATION.
There are planned launches to take the first humans to Mars orbit to remotely control (in near realtime) the next Mars Rover. (not the one on it's way to mars right now, but the next one in 2025)

 

[VashTS]

going into space is not really alluring for me, it would be fun, but its kind of boring. i guess you would get a good cell phone signal. lol.

 

[Bladexdsl]

yawn call me when warp drive is invented

 

[Gahars]

How so many people can find the final frontier to be boring simply escapes me. We really need the wonder (and pants-wetting fear) of the Space Race to make a comeback.

 

[lostdwarf]

Good luck to Space-X for todays endeavours.
This will litterally change our childrens lives. Possibly ours too. For the better.

 

[lostdwarf]

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/05/dragon-spotted-by-iss-crew-as.html

ISS cameras spot a Dragon in the distance: on it's way to ISS.

 

[Cyan]

Thanks for providing updates on the flight.


@[member='Gahars']:
For the French presidential we had last month, one candidate was for Space exploration and development of space programs, but everyone laugh at him for seeing a future position of France on space programs instead of seeing the present financial crisis.
People don't care that much when it's not related to them.

I would love to see new space race, that's when scientist develop and test new things.

 

[lostdwarf]

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/may/HQ_12-172_SpaceX_Dragon_Berth.htmle

Dragon is now attached to the ISS

Mission now in mid phase.

Safety manouvers have performed better than expected. Abort manouvers 300% safer than Space shuttle (it couldnt abort very well at all)

 

[lostdwarf]

http://www.nasa.gov/...ia_id=144607741

Heres a cool video

How do I embed videos?

 

[lostdwarf]

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/05/grapple-and-hold-dragon-berths.html

 

[Cyan]

this page lists the first 10 possible private spaceships (including Dragon) to go to space in the next few years.
http://www.space.com/15735-top-private-spaceships-countdown.html
Some are meant to transport supply and men to ISS, other will be private with touristic values only.


Funny quote from twitter:

Astronauts on the space station say the air on #Dragon has a “new car smell”

http://twitter.com/#!/SpaceX
http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23Dragon

video of Hatch opening (starts at ~34min):
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/142499/events/849381

 

[lostdwarf]

On Wednesday, May 30,(TODAY) a news briefing previewing the departure activities will be held at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at 9 a.m. CDT (10 a.m. EDT) and will be broadcast live on NASA TV and the agency's website.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=37206

 

[lostdwarf]

André Kuipers, a Dutch physician and astronaut with the European Space Agency, who docked the capsule alongside NASA's Donald Pettit, said it reminded him of a science-fiction movie set.
The married father-of-three posted pictures of the spacecraft to his Flickr account, saying: 'Inside of the Dragon module. Beautiful. Spacious, Modern. Blue LEDs. Feels a bit like a sci-fi filmset. Of course it is from Los Angeles.'

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/05/30/article-0-135B5822000005DC-833_634x421.jpg

 

[Cyan]

Science fiction and real science are always borrowing things from each others
I think it's great that the astronauts are open minded to science fiction movies too.


This time, for the back travel, there will be only reports, results, data from all experiences? no human coming back to earth right?
They certainly want to test its ability to depart from ISS safely first.