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SpaceX - News Items
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Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:21 pm
Posts: 547 Location: B.O.A. UK ![]() |
Looks like there is going to be a bit of a delay visiting the ISS
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/17 ... iss_delay/ _________________ Someone has to tilt at windmills. So that we know what to do when the real giants come!!!! |
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 12:18 am
Posts: 224 ![]() |
The Feb. 7th flight has been postponed:
1st Private Rocket Launch to Space Station Delayed. by Denise Chow, SPACE.com Staff Writer Date: 16 January 2012 Time: 01:51 PM ET http://www.space.com/14251-launch-delay ... light.html The Russians and some members of NASA were uncertain about SpaceX's ability to perform the linkup with the ISS successfully. For a $100 billion asset, that is an understandable concern. A couple of suggestions. First hire away from the Russians some top guys involved with the Progress cargo vehicle to the ISS and from the Europeans some top guys involved with the ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle(ATV). For the billion dollar cargo supply contract SpaceX has with NASA, it can afford to do that. Secondly, prior to the ISS docking mission do some rendezvous missions in space with the Dragon spacecraft. Ideally it would be with a vehicle that it could actually dock with. The Progress M-13M cargo vehicle for instance is scheduled to undock from the ISS in a few days. According to the Wikipedia page the undocking is scheduled for the 25th: Progress M-13M. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_M-13M while on this NASA release it's listed as on the 23rd: NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 19 January 2012. Source: NASA HQ Posted Thursday, January 19, 2012 http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=39635 The release of a small Russian satellite from the Progress and the de-orbit burn for the Progress is scheduled to occur a day later. Could the undocking or least the de-orbit burn be postponed for enough time for SpaceX to launch the Dragon to be able link up with the Progress vehicle? In any case, the current plan is not for Dragon to perform the final link-up with ISS under its own power and navigation capabilities but just to get close enough for the robot arm to grapple it and pull it to the station to dock with it. So for this, all the Dragon has to do is demonstrate the ability to get close enough to some orbiting satellite without colliding with it to within a similar distance is it would be to the ISS. It might be able to do this several times with different satellites to further demonstrate this capability. Bob Clark _________________ Nanotechnology now can produce the space elevator and private orbital launchers. It now also makes possible the long desired 'flying cars'. This crowdfunding campaign is to prove it: Nanotech: from air to space. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/nano ... 13319568#/ |
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Space Station Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:51 am
Posts: 455 Location: Vienna, Austria, Europe, Earth ![]() |
So the COTS 2/3 demo has been postponed, but that doesn't mean Spacex is doing nothing in between. They have just added a first video showing testfirings of the SuperDraco engine (used for the LES and future propulsive landing):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUUnYgo1-lI They say Quote: the SuperDraco sustained full duration, full thrust firing as well as a series of deep throttling demonstrations. edit: and here is the press release: http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20120201 _________________ pride comes before a fall |
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 6:36 pm
Posts: 113 ![]() |
Quite unexpectedly:
http://space.brevardtimes.com/2012/02/s ... arsal.html Brevard Times wrote: Spacex Falcon 9 Wet Dress Rehearsal Tomorrow CAPE CANAVERAL, Floirda - Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is inviting the press for a photo opportunity at the company’s Cape Canaveral launch site (SLC-40) on on Thursday, March 1st. SpaceX Communications Director Kirstin Brost Grantham stated in a press release that media will be able to take pictures of the 180-foot Falcon 9 rocket as it stands vertical at the launch pad for a wet dress rehearsal. Yesterday, the Dragon spaceship and Falcon 9 rocket completed assembly in Cape Canaveral (pictured above). In December 2008, NASA announced the selection of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon Spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). The $1.6 billion contract represents a minimum of 12 flights, with an option to order additional missions for a cumulative total contract value of up to $3.1 billion. Also a picture of F9/Dragon assembly vertical on pad: ![]() |
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 6:36 pm
Posts: 113 ![]() |
SpaceX on Facebook wrote: SpaceX We are targeting 4/30 for upcoming test flight, NASA will set official date at Flight Readiness Review on 4/16. |
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 6:36 pm
Posts: 113 ![]() |
Another update from SpaceX. Lots of stuff from them recently.
SpaceX wrote: Enter the Dragon, Please Take Your Seats SpaceX Completes Important Commercial Crew Milestone SpaceX continues to prepare for our upcoming test flight in which we will attempt to send the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. At the same time we continue making rapid progress in our efforts to prepare the Dragon spacecraft to carry astronauts. You may have read our update on the initial tests of the SuperDraco engines that will power the launch escape system. Recently, SpaceX completed another important milestone – the first NASA Crew Trial, one of two crew tests as part of SpaceX’s work to build a prototype Dragon crew cabin. For this milestone SpaceX demonstrated that our new crew cabin design will work well for astronauts in both nominal and off-nominal scenarios. It also provided our engineers with the opportunity to gain valuable feedback from both NASA astronauts and industry experts. ![]() SpaceX and NASA conducted a daylong review of the Dragon crew vehicle layout using the Dragon engineering model equipped with seats and representations of crew systems. Photo: SpaceX The engineering prototype includes seven seats as well as representations of crew accommodations such as lighting, environmental control and life support systems, displays, cargo racks, and other interior systems. During the daylong test, SpaceX and NASA evaluators including four NASA astronauts, participated in human factors assessments which covered entering and exiting Dragon under both normal and contingency cases, as well as reach and visibility evaluations. ![]() Test crew included (from top left): NASA Crew Survival Engineering Team Lead Dustin Gohmert, NASA Astronaut Tony Antonelli, NASA Astronaut Lee Archambault, SpaceX Mission Operations Engineer Laura Crabtree, SpaceX Thermal Engineer Brenda Hernandez, NASA Astronaut Rex Walheim, and NASA Astronaut Tim Kopra. Photo: Roger Gilbertson / SpaceX The seven seats mount to strong, lightweight supporting structures attached to the pressure vessel walls. Each seat can hold an adult up to 6 feet 5 inches tall, 250 lbs, and has a liner that is custom-fit for the crewmember. ![]() With all seven crewmembers in their seats, Dragon has sufficient interior space for three additional people to stand and assist the crew with their launch preparations. ![]() NASA Astronaut Rex Walheim, SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk and SpaceX Commercial Crew Development Manager and former NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman standing inside the Dragon spacecraft during testing activities. In fact, Dragon has so much interior volume, that we could place an entire three-person Russian Soyuz capsule descent module inside Dragon’s pressure vessel. SpaceX Featured on 60 Minutes This Sunday, March 18th, SpaceX will be featured on CBS' 60 Minutes television program. Click here to preview the final piece and in the US, check your local listings for air times. Stay tuned for more updates as we work towards making Dragon the most advanced spacecraft ever flown. |
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Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:47 am
Posts: 521 Location: Science Park, Cambridge, UK ![]() |
The 60minutes stuff is well worth watching. Seems that Elon Musk is quite upset at the lack of support from some of the Apollo astronauts.
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Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2004 11:52 am
Posts: 1401 Location: Exeter, Devon, England ![]() |
thought he was going to cry!!
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Spaceflight Participant ![]() ![]()
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:36 pm
Posts: 60 Location: Denmark ![]() |
Rob Goldsmith wrote: thought he was going to cry!! He really looked like he was going was going to cry, but it is also quite a slap in the face when Neel Armstrong dislikes the the hole concept of SpaceX. |
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 6:36 pm
Posts: 113 ![]() |
On the other hand there's Buzz Aldrin who, as far as I remember, supports commercial space industry.
http://thoughteconomics.blogspot.com/20 ... ation.html And if you ask me, Armstrong might have been the first to walk on the Moon, but Aldrin always seemed to be the more sensible one. |
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Spaceflight Participant ![]() ![]()
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:36 pm
Posts: 60 Location: Denmark ![]() |
Mchl wrote: On the other hand there's Buzz Aldrin who, as far as I remember, supports commercial space industry. http://thoughteconomics.blogspot.com/20 ... ation.html And if you ask me, Armstrong might have been the first to walk on the Moon, but Aldrin always seemed to be the more sensible one. As far as I remember Armstrong is a pilot, while Aldrin has a degree from MIT in some form of engineering, so i totally agree, but still Armstrong's support would have been nice. Also hes (as well as anyone else's) arguments against commercial space are, as far as i can tell, based on ignorance rather than information. :-S |
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Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2005 7:44 am
Posts: 707 Location: Haarlem, The Netherlands ![]() |
Armstrong seems to be stuck in the 1960's NASA Cold War glory days paradigm to me. It's a classic case of Clarke's First Law: "When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong." It's up to the younger generations to ignore them, push on, and prove them wrong, thus furthering progress...
_________________ Say, can you feel the thunder in the air? Just like the moment ’fore it hits – then it’s everywhere What is this spell we’re under, do you care? The might to rise above it is now within your sphere Machinae Supremacy – Sid Icarus |
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Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2004 11:52 am
Posts: 1401 Location: Exeter, Devon, England ![]() |
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... eneur.html
The first commercial round-trips to Mars will blast off within 10 years, according to PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, CEO of U.S commercial rocket maker SpaceX. The trip will cost a cool $500,000 (£300,000) - entirely payable through PayPal, no doubt. In 2010, SpaceX became the first commercial company in history to launch a spacecraft into orbit and retrieve it, and has partnered with Nasa to carry out cargo deliveries to the International Space Station. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... z1pqMXAM6V |
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 6:36 pm
Posts: 113 ![]() |
An article at Forbes about Musk
http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahellio ... llionaire/ most of it not really SpaceX related, there's one interesting thing though. Forbes wrote: Musk says he will likely offer it publicly next year. Not sure how I feel about that. |
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Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:47 am
Posts: 521 Location: Science Park, Cambridge, UK ![]() |
Mchl wrote: An article at Forbes about Musk http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahellio ... llionaire/ most of it not really SpaceX related, there's one interesting thing though. Forbes wrote: Musk says he will likely offer it publicly next year. Not sure how I feel about that. Musk really has a lot of emotion built up in SpaceX. I'm GUESSING that even with an IPO, he will still be in charge. It's the only way he can continue to get SpaceX to do what he want it to do. |
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