Posted on 08/15/2011 7:18:25 PM PDT by KevinDavis
HAWTHORNE, Calif. — SpaceX’s next mission is to the International Space Station.
The Hawthorne, Calif.-based private rocket maker said Monday its Dragon capsule will launch on Nov. 30 on a cargo test run to the orbiting outpost. SpaceX said the launch will be followed by a station docking more than a week later.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
This is awesome. Private space flight.
Wow, okay, hope it goes well.
Sad that our country is so bogged down in the swamp that we can’t all enjoy this step forward.
Way cool!
Awesome!
If they pull this off, it will be one of the most significant events in history!
Go for it!
Screw you, Obama. We are back in the space business.
Since NASA is out of business and they’re not being stopped by the Gov, must be some way to TAX it.
When I was a kid, early 60’s we all knew we would be astronauts and space travel would be like owning your own airplane. These guys make me proud to be an American, lets pray the Government stays out of the way.
I pray for their success and safe mission accomplishment.
At least SpaceX isn’t promoting Islam! I hope they deliver pork chops to the ISS.
Rock on.
Harvey Keitel would make a good Zachary Smith.
August 15, 2011
Over the last several months, SpaceX has been hard at work preparing for our next flight — a mission designed to demonstrate that a privately-developed space transportation system can deliver cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS). NASA has given us a Nov. 30, 2011 launch date, which should be followed nine days later by Dragon berthing at the ISS.
NASA has agreed in principle to allow SpaceX to combine all of the tests and demonstration activities that we originally proposed as two separate missions (COTS Demo 2 and COTS Demo 3) into a single mission. Furthermore, SpaceX plans to carry additional payloads aboard the Falcon 9’s second stage which will deploy after Dragon separates and is well on its way to the ISS. NASA will grant formal approval for the combined COTS missions pending resolution of any potential risks associated with these secondary payloads. Our team continues to work closely with NASA to resolve all questions and concerns.
This next mission represents a huge milestone not only for SpaceX, but also for NASA and the US space program. When the astronauts stationed on the ISS open the hatch and enter the Dragon spacecraft for the first time, it will mark the beginning of a new era in space travel.
Through continued private-public partnerships like the one that helped develop the Falcon 9 and Dragon system, commercial companies will transform the way we access space. Together, government and the private sector can simultaneously increase the reliability, safety and frequency of space travel, while greatly reducing the costs.
The update below highlights our recent progress towards the combined C2/C3 mission and missions beyond. From the 1,500 team members here at SpaceX, thank you for your continued support, and for joining us in this exciting, vital adventure.
Read more at http://www.spacex.com/updates.php.
Just so everyone’s on the same page, this is an unmanned cargo delivery mission. Manned flight of the DragonX is still sometime off.
Hey, as long as NASA’s not using it, next time send a manned mission and claim some salvage!
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.