Space X Makes Historic Launch

In a historic first, Space X successfully launched a refurbished Dragon cargo craft atop a Falcon 9 rocket, which returned to the launch pad a few minutes later.

SpaceX Liftoff

Falcon 9 return

Space X Plans to Orbit the Moon in late 2018

In what would be a first, SpaceX plans to fly two private citizens around the moon atop one of the company’s own rockets. And, SpaceX says, the cost will be paid out of the astronauts’ own pockets.

Elon Musk, billionaire founder and chief executive, said that two individuals came to him and asked if SpaceX could and would set up the flight, and that they are “nobody from Hollywood.” They’ve put down their deposits and will start fitness tests and training later this year to make the flight in late 2018.

For more click HERE

SpaceX Dragon Prepared to be Unloaded

Remember that SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft
which splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at

2:51 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 11, about 261

 miles southwest of Long Beach, California  

Seems the Dragon brought back a heafty load.

3,700 pounds of NASA cargo, science and technology demonstration samples from the International Space Station.

The first destination for the Dragon will be taken by ship to Long Beach where some cargo will be removed and returned to NASA.Then prepared for shipment to SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas, for processing.

Click the LINK

for complete article  information

More BEAM From Bigelow

I didn't think it would be too long before news about the 'expandable module' from Bigelow Aerospace started catching more attention. 

Well we know that Bigelow's BEAM or Bigelow Expandable Activity Module was launched aboard SpaceX's Dragon supply vehicle  April 8 and will be attached to the ISS April 16 but will not be expanded until the end of May.  

There is a ream of information on the NASA site.  Please check it out HERE

NASA OKs SpaceX's Latest Milestone for ISS Crew Transfers

NASA has approved SpaceX's first push towards launching crews to the International Space Station.  This under the auspices of NASA's  Commercial Crew Transportation Capability  contract.

No More American Astronauts on the ISS?!!!

Yep you read that correctly.  I first started hearing about this from my science guy.  He stated that he had heard that the Russians were threatening to ban American astronauts from the International Space Station due to our reaction to their annexation of the Ukraine’s Crimea. 

This sounded so very bizarre that I had to Google it to see what the skinny was and there it was on Extreme Tech's web site:

• Russia is threatening to ban the US from using the International Space Station. Furthermore, and perhaps more significantly in the short term, Russia will ban the US from buying the Russian RD-180 rocket engines that are currently used by the ULA’s Atlas V launcher to put the US military’s satellites into space.   

Now here is where it gets a bit confusing for me.  Sure they can stop the U.S. from getting RD-180s and certainly refuse passengers after 2020, but how can they physically or legally prevent U.S. astronauts from entering the ISS?

Right now, since the retirement of the Shuttle fleet,  we do no have the ability to ferry personnel to the station.  However, after 2020, I can not imagine that the man rated version of Space X's Dragon capsule will not be be in service, by that time.  

To that end, Elton Musk of Space X presented Dragon V2 that will be able to carry seven astronauts for several days, visit the ISS and land where-ever needs to under its own power.   Check it out HERE

SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft Returns Home

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft returned home this past weekend loaded with  more than 3,500 pounds of NASA cargo and science samples from the International Space Station.

The Dragon cargo craft splashed down at 3:05 p.m. EDT Sunday, in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 300 miles west of Baja California.

Some of the experiments and data that were part of Dragon's cargo were science samples that are critical to improving our knowledge of how space affects humans who live and work there for long durations,  data that could aid in better understanding the decreased effectiveness of antibiotics during spaceflight while also improving antibiotic development on Earth.  Plus many others.

For more information, check out the NASA.GOV sight HERE

Below is an earlier water landing of the Dragon cargo module.

Space X's Grasshopper Demoed

The Dragon supply capsule has proved itself very successful. But Space X is not about to set back on its' laurels. Recent tests of the Grasshopper are very encouraging. The most recent flight of Grasshopper had the rocket fly to a height of 263 feet, hovering for 34 seconds then returning to the launch pad. This goes a long way towards proving the viability of the reusable system. The Grasshopper consists of a Merlin 1D engine, a Falcon 9 tank and four legs. Though no plans as of yet include a space launch, the Grasshopper has made great strides since its' first 8 foot test flight. And yes that is a cowboy on the side of the rocket.....

Space X Dragon Resupply Launches

Kallamis noted that Space X's Friday launch of the Dragon resupply vehicle had problems. 

Space X Founder Elon Musk reported a that three out of the four sets of thrusters did not fire. 

Elon stated, as controllers tried to override the Dragon's automated system, that he wants at least two of the thruster pods functional before he oks deployment of Dragon's solar panels. 

The initial launch went according to plan and it wasn't until nine minutes after launch when Dragon separated from the upper stages of the launch vehicle.   This is the first problem that Space X has had since it started launching supplies to the ISS.  Two previous deliveries, last year, went according to plan. 

For more information

SpaceX: http://www.spacex.com

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Hey pssssssst Wanna Go To Mars?

Hey, I am serious here!  Have a yen to tread the red?  Sure you do!  Well SpaceX has some good news for you!

Yep, THAT SpaceX!  They are making room for you and about 80K of your best friends, so start saving your pennies now.  How much you ask?  Well I think the asking price is pretty damn reasonable.   Only 500k!  Of course that is the up side.  The down side is its a one way trip! 

Yes, SpaceX wants you to invest 500,000 to become a colonist on Mars.  All of this is contingent on a reusable craft that will land and take off again.  

Here is the complete article along with a cool vid to show what SpaceX is up to at this point and some of their plancs 

NASA coverage of the Dragon module's splashdown

Reader Kallamis sent in a comment on the Dragon coverage.

He wrote:

• NASA will broadcast the release reentry and splashdown. They will have a briefing on the NASA channel at 10am EDT, on Wednesday morning.
• All info can be found on this on this link.
• http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/may/HQ_M12-0098_SpaceX_Splashdown_Coverage.html

Is it to much to say "History in the making"?   Thanks for the heads up Kallamis

Pic of the Insides of Dragon While Docked With the ISS

André Kuipers, a physician with the European Space Agency, aboard the ISS, had a chance to take this photograph while SpaceX's Dragon supply vehicle was docked with the station.

He also wrote,

• 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.

Yep, even though we have seen it before, there is something about seeing it while it is working. The light DO add to the futuristic feel, don't they.

More in the Boing Boing article

Dragon Docks With ISS

Space X's unmanned supply capsule Dragon was successfully captured by Don Pettit using the International Space Station's (robotic arm. SpaceX is the first private company to dock a spacecraft at the ISS. Dragon is carrying supplies consisting of food, water and clothing and for the ISS crew. After unloading, Dragon will be repacked with equipment to come back to Earth. It is scheduled to detach, do a de-orbit burn and return to Earth on May 31.

The video shows the Iss's "arm" controlled by Pettit capturing the Dragon capsule





Read more at The Telegraph

3D inactive SpaceX Dragon Interior

This is cool! Check out this 3/d interactive view of the SpaceX Dragon module here  As the Boing Boing article points out:
SpaceX's Dragon will be the first private spacecraft to visit the International Space Station.

• SpaceX's Dragon will be the first private spacecraft to visit the International Space Station.

NASA Gives SpaceX Go Ahead for ISS Rendezvous

NASA also has agreed to allow SpaceX to send its Dragon spacecraft to rendezvous with the International Space Station. According to SFScope.com NASA has also set a date for a second Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) demonstration flight.

• Pending completion of final safety reviews, testing and verification will be February 7, 2012.

The objectives of the Dragon module's ISS flight are:

• fly-by of the space station at a distance of approximately two miles
• demonstrate the capability to abort the rendezvous

Dragon will then perform a close approach at which time the crew will use the station's robotic arm to capture Dragon and berth it to the Earth-facing side of the Harmony node. Mission completed the crew reverses the procedure and Dragon returns to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific off the coast of California.

SFScope link here

Can the Private Sector do it Faster & Cheaper than NASA?

Just in case you live in a cave somewhere and were not up to speed as to what SpaceX has up it's sleeve - below is a short animation of their Dragon / Falcon 9 heavy, reusable launch system. What makes this interesting again is a recent report from NASA where they admit that the private sector can accomplish mission critical launches far cheaper than NASA can do it on it's own.

With the system shown here from SpaceX - the estimate is that from build to launch, they can - with the reusable vehicle - launch at roughly $60 million for launch and construction.


Here is the complete Dvice article

Space X Dragon May Be First Man Rated Capsule

I was reading in a Daily Galaxy post that Space X has petitioned NASA to combine two upcoming missions, one to rendezvous with the ISS and next to dock with it. But following the successful test flight SpaceX asked that NASA put both missions into a single rendezvous and docking flight.

NASA has tentatively agreed and is proceeding with planning the mission as though it were combined, even though they have not yet given Space X a formal go ahead.

From the article:

• The SpaceX Dragon capsule will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on 30 November then rendezvous and dock with the ISS on 7 December

But here is the tidbit I found hiding in the text.

• US astronauts will still be reliant on lifts from the Russian Soyuz craft until the private vehicle is human-rated by NASA.

- and Space X doesn't think that will be much of a problem. Hummmm it would seem that the next American astronauts returning to space on anything other than a Soyuz will be on a commercial vehicle.

SpaceX successful Falcon9 / Dragon Launch

SpaceX experienced a brilliantly successful launch of it's Falcon 9 launch vehicle, delivering a Dragon, reusable space capsule into orbit.

Here is a description of the Dragon capsule, from SpaceX's site
Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft ... developed by SpaceX .... the Dragon spacecraft is made up of a pressurized capsule and unpressurized trunk used for Earth to LEO transport of pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo, and/or crew members.

The Dragon was delivered to orbit and according to the SpaceX site

(Dragon re-enters and) Lands on Target in the Pacific Ocean, 500 miles Off of the Coast of Southern California

This also means that SpaceX became the first commercial company in history to re-enter a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit.