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SpaceX launches its Grasshopper rocket on 12-story-high hop in Texas
SpaceX's prototype Grasshopper rocket took one giant leap last week, rising to a 12-story height and settling back down safely on its landing legs at the company's Texas rocket test facility. Just for fun, the engineers let a dummy cowboy go along for the ride.
The Dec. 17 test flight at the pad in McGregor, Texas, was documented in a YouTube video released today — and discussed in a series of lighthearted tweets from SpaceX's billionaire founder, Elon Musk.
"To provide a little perspective on the size of Grasshopper, we added a 6-ft cowboy to the rocket. ... Then we took him for a ride," Musk wrote. So how did the cowboy fare? "No problemo," said Musk.
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The 10-story-tall Grasshopper rocket is designed to take off and land vertically, as part of Musk's plan to develop a rocket capable of returning itself to a launch pad for rapid reusability. Today's vertical-takeoff launch systems generally rely upon expendable lower stages — although the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters could be recovered from the Atlantic Ocean and refurbished for reuse. If a rocket stage can return to its launch facility intact and ready to go again, that could significantly lower the cost of spaceflight. That's what Musk is shooting for.
SpaceX says the Grasshopper consists of a Falcon 9 rocket first stage, a Merlin 1D engine, four steel landing legs with hydraulic dampers, and a steel support structure. During the prototype's first flight test on Sept. 21, the Grasshopper rose 6 feet into the air. The second test, on Nov. 1, lasted 8 seconds and lifted the Grasshopper 17.7 feet (5.4 meters) off the pad. The company said last week's third test went for 29 seconds, during which the Grasshopper rose 131 feet (40 meters) into the air, hovered and landed safely back on the pad, using closed-loop thrust vector and throttle control.
SpaceX
A dummy cowboy is perched on SpaceX's Grasshopper rocket for a Dec. 17 test.
In addition to the Grasshopper, SpaceX is sending its Dragon capsules to resupply the International Space Station, working on a version of the Dragon that could carry astronauts into orbit sometime soon, and developing a Falcon Heavy rocket that could conceivably power flights to the moon. But Musk's long-range goal is even more ambitious: getting settlers to Mars. He has said Grasshopper-style rocket reusability is a key part of that long-term strategy.
"If it does works, it'll be pretty huge," he said last year during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.
SpaceX books first two launches with U.S. military
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: December 6, 2012
4
SpaceX has received its first launch orders from the U.S. military, netting contracts worth $262 million for two Falcon rocket launches in 2014 and 2015, the company announced Wednesday.
Artist's concept of the Falcon Heavy rocket. Credit: SpaceX
The Air Force cinched deals with SpaceX for the launch of the Deep Space Climate Observatory and the Space Test Program 2 missions - contracts worth $97 million and $165 million, respectively.
The Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, is based on the repurposed spacecraft first developed in the 1990s for NASA's Triana Earth science mission. The craft was placed in storage after NASA suspended work on the Triana project in 2001.
DSCOVR will be stationed at the L1 libration point a million miles from Earth, where its sensors will monitor space weather and provide warning of approaching solar storms for NOAA and the Air Force.
The Air Force ordered a Falcon 9 rocket launch for DSCOVR in late 2014.
The Space Test Program 2 mission set for liftoff in mid-2015 will put multiple satellites in orbit using SpaceX's Falcon Heavy vehicle, a powerful booster designed to loft up to 117,000 pounds into low Earth orbit.
Both missions will originate from SpaceX's launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., according to SpaceX.
"SpaceX deeply appreciates and is honored by the vote of confidence shown by the Air Force in our Falcon launch vehicles," said Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO and chief designer. "We look forward to providing high reliability access to space with lift capability to orbit that is substantially greater than any other launch vehicle in the world."
Artist's concept of the DSCOVR spacecraft. Credit: NOAA
The Air Force contract for the Falcon Heavy also marks the second customer to sign up for a flight on the heavy-lift booster. Intelsat booked a Falcon Heavy launch for an unspecified payload in May.
SpaceX plans a test flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket in the second half of 2013.
The contracts are the Air Force's first commitment to SpaceX, which has strived to attract Pentagon launch business. The U.S. military's operational communications, surveillance, navigation and intelligence-gathering satellites fly on Atlas and Delta rockets operated by United Launch Alliance.
But the Air Force set aside some missions for launches on other boosters, giving smaller companies and new market entrants an opportunity to bid for contracts and prove their capabilities.
The DSCOVR and STP 2 awards fall under the Orbital/Suborbital Program 3 contract, which the Air Force awarded to SpaceX, Orbital Sciences Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. on Monday.
The OSP 3 contract allows the rocket companies to compete for individual missions, which the Air Force calls task orders. The first task orders awarded under the OSP 3 contract went to SpaceX for the DSCOVR and STP 2 missions.
SpaceX said the DSCOVR and STP 2 launches will support efforts to certify the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets to compete with ULA, which SpaceX claims holds a monopoly in the market for most Air Force launches.
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December 5, 2012
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SPACEX AWARDED TWO EELV-CLASS MISSIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
(Hawthorne, CA) -- The United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center has awarded SpaceX two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV)-class missions: DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) and STP-2 (Space Test Program 2). To be launched on SpaceX's Falcon launch vehicles in 2014 and 2015 respectively, the awards mark the first EELV-class missions awarded to the company to date.
"SpaceX deeply appreciates and is honored by the vote of confidence shown by the Air Force in our Falcon launch vehicles," said Elon Musk, CEO and chief designer, SpaceX. "We look forward to providing high reliability access to space with lift capability to orbit that is substantially greater than any other launch vehicle in the world."
The DSCOVR mission will be launched aboard a Falcon 9 and is currently slated for late 2014, while STP-2 will be launched aboard the Falcon Heavy and is targeted for mid-2015. Both are expected to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Both missions fall under Orbital/Suborbital Program-3 (OSP-3), an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the US Air Force Rocket Systems Launch Program. OSP-3 represents the first Air Force contract designed to provide new entrants to the EELV program an opportunity to demonstrate their vehicle capabilities.
The two missions will support the EELV certification process for both the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. Falcon Heavy, the most powerful rocket in the world, is expected to take its first flight in the second half of 2013. Building on reliable flight proven architecture, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles are designed for exceptional reliability, meeting the stringent U.S. Air Force requirements for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.
About SpaceX
SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches the world's most advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk to revolutionize space transportation, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets. Today, SpaceX is advancing the boundaries of space technology through its Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Valor Equity Partners. The company has more than 2,000 employees in California, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Florida. For more information, visit SpaceX.com.
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© 2012 Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
Air Force awards up to $900 million in launch contracts
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: December 4, 2012
9
The U.S. Air Force has selected SpaceX, Orbital Sciences Corp., and Lockheed Martin Corp. to launch small military satellites on multiple missions through 2017, the Defense Department announced Monday.
File photo of a Minotaur 4 rocket on the launch pad at Kodiak Launch Complex, Alaska. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
The contract allows the Pentagon to select the companies to launch small satellites and other space missions.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, Orbital's Minotaur rocket family, and Lockheed Martin's Athena launcher will be available to launch the satellites.
The contract is worth up to $900 million, according to the Pentagon.
The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract permits SpaceX, Orbital Sciences and Lockheed Martin to compete for individual launches. The Air Force will select one provider for each mission.
The Rocket Systems Launch Program contract runs until Nov. 29, 2017. It extends an expiring Orbital/Suborbital Program contract between the Air Force and Orbital Sciences, which has launched satellites on 13 Minotaur rockets since 2000.
The Minotaur rocket family is comprised of decommissioned Minuteman and Peacekeeper missile stages.
SpaceX and Lockheed Martin will join Orbital Sciences in the next phase of the contract.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, which has launched four times for NASA's commercial cargo transportation program, is being upgraded to launch satellites for NASA, commercial and military customers.
So far, SpaceX has not been awarded a contract for a U.S. military launch.
Lockheed Martin is reviving its Athena rocket line in partnership with ATK Space Systems, the builder of Athena's solid-fueled rocket motors.
United Launch Alliance, the joint launch services firm formed by Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin, was prohibited from competing for the RSLP contract. ULA builds and operates the Atlas and Delta rocket fleets under the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program for launches of large, higher-priority military communications, surveillance, and navigation satellites.
The first task orders expected to be awarded under the RSLP contract are the Space Test Program 2 and Deep Space Climate Observatory missions, according to Peggy Hodge, a spokesperson at the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, home of the military's space procurement division.
Huge Mars Colony Eyed by SpaceX Founder Elon Musk
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder and CEO of the private spaceflight company SpaceX, wants to help establish a Mars colony of up to 80,000 people by ferrying explorers to the Red Planet for perhaps $500,000 a trip.
In Musk's vision, the ambitious Mars settlement program would start with a pioneering group of fewer than 10 people, who would journey to the Red Planet aboard a huge reusable rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane.
"At Mars, you can start a self-sustaining civilization and grow it into something really big," Musk told an audience at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London on Friday (Nov. 16). Musk was there to talk about his business plans, and to receive the Society’s gold medal for his contribution to the commercialization of space.
Mars pioneers
Accompanying the founders of the new Mars colony would be large amounts of equipment, including machines to produce fertilizer, methane and oxygen from Mars’ atmospheric nitrogen and carbon dioxide and the planet's subsurface water ice.
The Red Planet pioneers would also take construction materials to build transparent domes, which when pressurized with Mars’ atmospheric CO2 could grow Earth crops in Martian soil. As the Mars colony became more self sufficient, the big rocket would start to transport more people and fewer supplies and equipment. [Future Visions of Human Spaceflight]
Musk’s architecture for this human Mars exploration effort does not employ cyclers, reusable spacecraft that would travel back and forth constantly between the Red Planet and Earth — at least not at first
"Probably not a Mars cycler; the thing with the cyclers is, you need a lot of them," Musk told SPACE.com. "You have to have propellant to keep things aligned as [Mars and Earth’s] orbits aren’t [always] in the same plane. In the beginning you won’t have cyclers."
Musk also ruled out SpaceX's Dragon capsule, which the company is developing to ferry astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit, as the spacecraft that would land colonists on the Red Planet. When asked by SPACE.com what vehicle would be used, he said, "I think you just land the entire thing."
Asked if the "entire thing" is the huge new reusable rocket — which is rumored to bear the acronymic name MCT, short for Mass Cargo Transport or Mars Colony Transport — Musk said, "Maybe."
Musk has been thinking about what his colonist-carrying spacecraft would need, whatever it ends up being. He reckons the oxygen concentration inside should be 30 to 40 percent, and he envisions using the spacecraft’s liquid water store as a barrier between the Mars pioneers and the sun.
A $500,000 ticket
Musk’s $500,000 ticket price for a Mars trip was derived from what he thinks is affordable.
"The ticket price needs to be low enough that most people in advanced countries, in their mid-forties or something like that, could put together enough money to make the trip," he said, comparing the purchase to buying a house in California. [Photos: The First Space Tourists]
He also estimated that of the eight billion humans that will be living on Earth by the time the colony is possible, perhaps one in 100,000 would be prepared to go. That equates to potentially 80,000 migrants.
Musk figures the colony program — which he wants to be a collaboration between government and private enterprise — would end up costing about $36 billion. He arrived at that number by estimating that a colony that costs 0.25 percent or 0.5 percent of a nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) would be considered acceptable.
The United States' GDP in 2010 was $14.5 trillion; 0.25 percent of $14.5 trillion is $36 billion. If all 80,000 colonists paid $500,000 per seat for their Mars trip, $40 billion would be raised.
"Some money has to be spent on establishing a base on Mars. It’s about getting the basic fundamentals in place," Musk said. "That was true of the English colonies [in the Americas]; it took a significant expense to get things started. But once there are regular Mars flights, you can get the cost down to half a million dollars for someone to move to Mars. Then I think there are enough people who would buy that to have it be a reasonable business case."
The big reusable rocket
The fully reusable rocket that Musk wants to take colonists to Mars is an evolution of SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster, which launches Dragon.
"It’s going to be much bigger [than Falcon 9], but I don’t think we’re quite ready to state the payload. We’ll speak about that next year," Musk said, emphasizing that only fully reusable rockets and spacecraft would keep the ticket price for Mars migration as low as $500,000.
SpaceX is already testing what Musk calls a next-generation, reusable Falcon 9 rocket that can take off vertically and land vertically. The prototype, called Grasshopper, is a Falcon 9 first stage with landing legs.
Grasshoper has made two short flights. The first was on Sept. 21 and reached a height of 6 feet (2 meters); the second test, on Nov. 1, was to a height of 17.7 feet (5.4 m). A planned milestone for the Grasshopper project is to reach an altitude of 100 feet (30 m). [Grasshopper Rocket's 2-Story Test Flight (Video)]
"Over the next few months, we’ll gradually increase the altitude and speed," Musk said. "I do think there probably will be some craters along the way; we’ll be very lucky if there are no craters. Vertical landing is an extremely important breakthrough — extreme, rapid reusability. It’s as close to aircraft-like dispatch capability as one can achieve."
Musk wants to have a reusable Falcon 9 first stage, which uses Grasshopper technology, come back from orbit in "the next year or two." He then wants to use this vertical-landing technology for Falcon 9’s upper stage.
Musk hopes to have a fully reusable version of Falcon 9 in five or six years, but he acknowledged that those could be "famous last words
A rocket stepping stone
Another stepping stone toward the planned reusable Mars rocket is SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launcher. With a first flight planned for next year from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Heavy is a Falcon 9 that has two Falcon 9 first stages bolted on either side.
Musk expects the Falcon Heavy to launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral eventually. This triple-first-stage rocket will be able to put 116,600 pounds (53,000 kilograms) into a 124-mile (200 kilometers) low-Earth orbit. But the Falcon Heavy is still much smaller than Musk’s fully reusable Mars rocket, which will also employ a new engine.
While Musk declines to state what the Mars rocket’s payload capability will be, he does say it will use a new staged combustion cycle engine called Raptor. The cycle involves two steps. Propellant — the fuel and oxidizer — is ignited in pre-burners to produce hot high-pressure gases that help pump propellant into the engine’s combustion chamber. The hot gases are then directed into the same chamber to aid in the combustion of the propellants.
Because Raptor is a staged combustion engine — like the main engines of NASA's now-retired space shuttle fleet — it is expected to be far more efficient than the open-cycle Merlin engines used by the Falcon 9.
While the Falcon 9’s engines use liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene, Raptor will use LOX and methane. Musk explained that "the energy cost of methane is the lowest, and it has a slight ISP [specific impulse] advantage over kerosene and doesn’t have any of the bad aspects of hydrogen." (Hydrogen is difficult to store at cryogenic temperatures, makes metal brittle and is very flammable.)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20389148 SpaceX going to out compete the ESA pricewise
...So next supply-run is set for January 2013, I believe.
Now they also have the ability to bring back substantial amounts of cargo TO earth. Something like 1000Lb.s of samples of astronaut/cosmonaut blood and urine, that have been in frozen-storage since the last shuttle flew.
The Dragon spacecraft is targeted to splash down from the International Space Station this Sunday at approximately 12:20PM PT. For real-time updates throughout Dragon’s reentry and splashdown, follow @SpaceX .com
We will be televising all the flights live.
I'm in the process of changing servers and the email addresses are changing also. You're welcome to ask here or on this board which is monitored almost 24/7 now.http://investorshub.advfn.com/SPACE-FLIGHT-2011-(interactive-discussion)-17003/
Once the acct's and boards are set-up on Lagrange City, I'll send you an invite..
Thats awesome, can you PM your email? I have some questions about the spaceX capsule.
https://www.facebook.com/SpaceX check in ...
http://www.spacex.com/webcast/ Prelaunch and live launch coverage here
The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft undergo final checks in the hangar before this Sunday’s launch to the International Space Station, targeted for 8:35PM ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida
SpaceX encore: Private company set to launch 2nd Dragon capsule with space station supplies
NASA, Jim Grossmann/Associated Press - In this Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012 photo made available by NASA, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon capsule attached begins a rollout demonstration test in Cape Canaveral, Fla. On Sunday night, Oct. 7, 2012, the private space company will attempt to launch another capsule full of food, clothes and science experiments for the astronauts at the space station. The company hopes to repeat the success of its test flight in May 2012.
By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, October 4, 5:36 PM
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private company is headed back to the International Space Station.
On Sunday night, SpaceX will attempt to launch another Dragon capsule full of food, clothes and science experiments for the astronauts at the space station. The company hopes to repeat the success of its test flight in May.
0
The percentage of credit cards that were 30 days or more overdue fell to an 11-year low in the second quarter.
Rainy weather could keep the company’s Falcon rocket grounded. Forecasters said Thursday there’s a 60 percent chance of favorable conditions for the 8:35 p.m. launch from Cape Canaveral.
This is the California company’s first official launch under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. The contract calls for 12 deliveries.
The Dragon will spend a few weeks at the space station before being cut loose at the end of October with a full load of science experiments and old equipment. It will parachute into the Pacific.
Among the items going up and coming back on the Dragon are a dozen student experiments that flew aboard the SpaceX capsule in May, but were not properly activated by the station crew. NASA offered this second chance.
NASA is counting on private business to help keep the space station stocked, now that the shuttles are retired. The governments of Russia, Japan and Europe also provide periodic supply runs.
A second company, the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp., hopes to launch its Antares rocket with a mockup capsule by the end of this year, out of Wallops Island. The first test flight to the space station, by Orbital Sciences, is targeted for early 2013.
SpaceX — or Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — is run by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, who’s also the chief executive officer of the electric car-maker, Tesla Motors. He is working to modify the Dragon capsule in order to carry astronauts back and forth to the space station, within three to five years. Americans currently hitch rides on Russian rockets.
___
Online:
SpaceX: http://www.spacex.com/
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
SpaceX, NASA Target Oct. 7 Launch For Resupply Mission To Space Station
09.20.12
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is in position for a wet dress rehearsal at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, Falcon 9 rocket is in position for a wet dress rehearsal (WDR) at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During the rehearsal, the rocket will be fully fueled and launch controllers will perform a countdown demonstration. Photo credit: NASA
+ View large image
NASA managers, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) officials and international partner representatives Thursday announced Sunday, Oct. 7, as the target launch date for the first contracted cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.
International Space Station Program managers confirmed the status and readiness of the Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon cargo spacecraft for the SpaceX CRS-1 mission, as well as the space station's readiness to receive Dragon.
Launch is scheduled for 8:34 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A back up launch opportunity is available on Oct. 8.
Media accreditation to view the launch now is open. International media without U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials to cover the prelaunch and launch activities by Wednesday, Sept 26. For U.S. media, the deadline to apply is Wednesday, Oct. 3.
Questions about accreditation may be directed to the Public Affairs Office at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 321-867-2468. All media accreditation requests must be submitted online at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
The launch of the Dragon spacecraft will be the first of 12 contracted flights by SpaceX to resupply the space station and marks the second trip by a Dragon to the station, following a successful demonstration mission in May. SpaceX services under the CRS contract will restore an American capability to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to the orbiting laboratory -- a feat not achievable since the retirement of the space shuttle.
The Dragon will be filled with about 1,000 pounds of supplies. This includes critical materials to support the 166 investigations planned for the station's Expedition 33 crew, including 63 new investigations. The Dragon will return about 734 pounds of scientific materials, including results from human research, biotechnology, materials and educational experiments, as well as about 504 pounds of space station hardware.
Materials being launched on Dragon will support experiments in plant cell biology, human biotechnology and various materials technology demonstrations, among others. One experiment, called Micro 6, will examine the effects of microgravity on the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans, which is present on all humans. Another experiment, called Resist Tubule, will evaluate how microgravity affects the growth of cell walls in a plant called Arabidopsis. About 50 percent of the energy expended by terrestrial-bound plants is dedicated to structural support to overcome gravity. Understanding how the genes that control this energy expenditure operate in microgravity could have implications for future genetically modified plants and food supply. Both Micro 6 and Resist Tubule will return with the Dragon at the end of its mission.
Expedition 33 Commander Sunita Williams of NASA and Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will use a robot arm to grapple the Dragon following its rendezvous with the station on Wednesday, Oct. 10. They will attach the Dragon to the Earth-facing port of the station's Harmony module for a few weeks while crew members unload cargo and load experiment samples for return to Earth.
Dragon is scheduled to return in late October for a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California.
While NASA works with U.S. industry partners to develop commercial spaceflight capabilities, the agency also is developing the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket to provide an entirely new capability for human exploration. Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS and Orion will expand human presence beyond low Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system.
SpaceX completed a successful wet dress rehearsal today, a launch readiness test which simulates the actual countdown of the Falcon 9 rocket, in preparation for its first official cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. This mission is targeted to launch in early October.
SpaceX future plans as per Future projects that are in the planning stages or in development include the Falcon Heavy launch system, as well as a NASA robotic mission to Mars in 2018. The Heavy is based on Falcon 9 technology, and if construction goes as planned, it will be the most powerful rocket in the American inventory since the Apollo-era Saturn V. Falcon Heavy can be used to send a crewed Dragon spacecraft on lunar orbiting missions – such as the Apollo 8 mission; or be used to send a modified unpiloted Dragon on a Mars landing mission. Musk has stated that his intention for the company is to help in the creation of a permanent human presence on Mars
SpaceX future plans as per Future projects that are in the planning stages or in development include the Falcon Heavy launch system, as well as a NASA robotic mission to Mars in 2018. The Heavy is based on Falcon 9 technology, and if construction goes as planned, it will be the most powerful rocket in the American inventory since the Apollo-era Saturn V. Falcon Heavy can be used to send a crewed Dragon spacecraft on lunar orbiting missions – such as the Apollo 8 mission; or be used to send a modified unpiloted Dragon on a Mars landing mission. Musk has stated that his intention for the company is to help in the creation of a permanent human presence on Mars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX Very informative
Anyone ,I am just wondering if a new launch date has been announced yet
NASA awards SpaceX $440M to develop transport to ISS....
Watched the SpaceX segment on "Through the Wormhole!" Good Stuff!
Still watching video from the last. lol
http://spacex.com/multimedia/videos.php?id=0
SpaceX Completes Design Review of Dragon
07.12.12
Artist concept of astronauts in SpaceX Dragon capsule Image above: An artist's conception of astronauts inside SpaceX's Dragon capsule.
Image credit: SpaceX
› Larger image
NASA partner Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has completed an important design review of the crewed version of its Dragon spacecraft. The concept baseline review presented NASA with the primary and secondary design elements of its Dragon capsule designed to carry astronauts into low Earth orbit, including the International Space Station.
SpaceX is one of several companies working to develop crew transportation capabilities under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). Through CCDev2, NASA is helping the private sector develop and test new spacecraft and rockets with the goal of making commercial human spaceflight services available to commercial and government customers.
In the June 14 review conducted at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., SpaceX provided details about each phase of a potential crewed mission. This included how the company plans to modify its launch pads to support such missions, Dragon's docking capabilities, the weight and power requirements for the spacecraft, and prospective ground landing sites and techniques. The company also outlined crew living arrangements, such as environmental control and life support equipment, displays and controls.
"SpaceX has made significant progress on its crew transportation capabilities," NASA CCP Manager Ed Mango said. "We commend the SpaceX team on its diligence in meeting its CCDev2 goals to mature the company's technology as this nation continues to build a real capability for America's commercial spaceflight needs."
Safety was a key focus of the review. The SpaceX team presented NASA with analyses on how its SuperDraco launch abort system would perform if an emergency were to occur during launch or ascent. The review also outlined plans for getting astronauts away from danger quickly and safely on the way to low Earth orbit, in space and during the return home.
"The successful conclusion of the concept baseline review places SpaceX exactly where we want to be -- ready to move on to the next phase and on target to fly people into space aboard Dragon by the middle of the decade," said SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk.
All of NASA's industry partners, including SpaceX, continue to meet their established milestones in developing commercial crew transportation capabilities under CCDev2.
While NASA works with U.S. industry to develop commercial spaceflight capabilities to low Earth orbit, the agency also is developing the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket, to provide an entirely new capability for human exploration of deep space. Designed to be flexible for launching crew and cargo missions, Orion and SLS will expand human presence beyond Earth and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system.
For more information about NASA's Commercial Crew Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Looks like everything goes quiet except the ISS after today till the Venus Transit on June 5 .
I see the same thing nothing live except the ISS oh well
The only thing I see live till 2:00 SpaceX Briefing is the ISS internal and external views.
Ha Ha I bet You are right ZZZZZZZZZZ
Mission status briefing coming up any live feed ? Nasa is cutting out...
I could swear I saw Elon nodding off a couple times. I'll bet he's been up all night. lol
I'd be curous to know just how many sensors it has. I've been told it has more sensors than any craft ever built.
I am sure they have triple redundancy on those sensors as always
It was fantastic. Had me worried on the way up when I learned they lost about 20 sensors. Then the NASA specialist said that was really good. The shuttle lost an ave of 50 sensors on every flight and the ISS itself had about 100 down.
Awesome mission IMO things are looking good
I have 3 screens just like the SpaceX control center. Wasn't planned that way. lol
Look at the crowd outside of the window. The seem to have stand back line, but you can see all the feet outside of the SpaceX windows.
We have the ORB flight later this summer and then another Dragon flight this year. NASA is going to provide me with a link to a sat flight next month so I can try to get some more of the software going.
We have splashdown
This is fantastic. Would love to have the recorder operational right now.
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