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ber 15, 2011
December 8, 2011, marked the one-year anniversary of Dragon’s first Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) demonstration flight. The flight made history, as SpaceX became the only commercial company to successfully return a spacecraft from orbit. This feat had previously been accomplished only by five nations and the European Space Agency.
We are now preparing the Dragon spacecraft for yet another historic flight -- becoming the first commercial vehicle in history to visit the International Space Station (ISS)!
NASA recently announced February 7, 2012, as our new target launch date for the upcoming mission. In addition, NASA officially confirmed that SpaceX will be allowed to complete the objectives of COTS 2 and COTS 3 in a single mission.
This means Dragon will perform all of the COTS 2 mission objectives, which include numerous operations in the vicinity of the ISS, and will then perform the COTS 3 objectives. These include approach, berthing with the ISS, astronauts opening Dragon and unloading cargo, and finally astronauts closing the spacecraft and sending it back to Earth for recovery from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
This mission marks a major milestone in American spaceflight. While our first missions to the ISS will be to transport cargo, both Falcon 9 and Dragon were designed to ultimately transport astronauts. Every trip we make to the ISS from this point forward gets us closer to that goal. SpaceX is incredibly excited for what the future holds and, as always, we greatly appreciate NASA’s continued support and partnership in
this process
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/111113nextyear/ SpaceX update
That really is a good link. Another article I found interesting is the "case against space-x"....Before anyone gets upset, let me say I am very impressed with space-x's developments thus far, what they have accomplished in such a short term of existance.
The article mentions the re-useability of the crafts, actually the short-comings of the intended recovery. (That failed twice)
Even though space-x claims re-useability, may actually find they are committing to single-use expendables...that will affect the costs of successive-launches.
The other musings I have done, are related to profits, can these profits that are being projected be sustained? Forgive me for being apprehensive, but many business enterprises in recent history have degraded into "ponzi-like" schemes. (Irreguardless of how they started, something could go wrong...it will come down to how ethical the management is, should serious roadblocks occur.)
Profitability;
Elon says SpaceX has been profitable every year since 2007!
Okay, that’s great. How? There’s really only two possible answers: NASA’s money, or booking fees. If it is just the former then SpaceX is destined to become just another NASA lackey. So we prefer to think it is the latter – but that means they’re living on their seed corn. Eventually they’re going to have to actually fly these payloads or give back the deposits. So the acid test will come when SpaceX is called upon to launch and turn a profit in the same year. At that time we will discover if SpaceX is getting the launch rate they require to amortize the fixed costs such that their revenues exceed their expenses. Only then will we know if their prices were realistic.
Optimism is a good thing, It may be the strongest driving-force in space privatization, next to the 1st driving-force...Money.
I hope my worrys are unfounded, but was relieved to find that I wasn't the only one who thought space-x was making promises their tech has yet to prove. I wish them the best, time will tell.
http://moonandback.com/2011/11/21/the-case-against-spacex/
http://moonandback.com/ Great source of info
Thats an interesting mix, Biz...
Before they add the water, the nano-aluminum must be dangerous to handle, I'd bet. Even finely-powdered wheat-flour would be explosive at that fine of a reduction. (Think "mill-explosions")
http://space.flatoday.net/2011/09/nasa-chief-station-evacuation-unlikely.html ISS update to follow
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904716604576546712416626614.html?mod=googlenews_wsj A failed liftoff had to be destroyed
http://www.spacex.com/updates.php Update on the ISS PROJECT
http://www.commercialspaceflight.org/ Future is Now
http://www.spacex.com/updates.php High lights from ground breaking July 13 at Vandenburg Air force Base USA
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Virgin-Galactic/171270329296 Nice link Here
http://www.commercialspaceflight.org/?p=1559 SHUTTLE Legacy and Welcome to New commerical Spaceflight
Inspiring vid!....if it works like the earlyer example of aircraft industry,...just a few baby-steps...then Giant leaps forward!
http://www.comspacewatch.com/ News source for us all
http://www.space-travel.com/reports/NASA_Announces_Key_Decision_For_Next_Deep_Space_Transportation_System_999.html NASA has plans set into motion
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=33576 NASA reports first commercial payloads today
We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.
This message board is meant to be purely for disscussion of New science in reguards to the advancement of Humankinds advancement into space exploration . Please adhere to TOU as spelled out in Handbook.Thank you All
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