SpaceX Dragon: 1st Commercial Launch to ISS

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Launch Day Weather Remains 60 Percent "Go"

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 06:19:24 PM GMT

The weather forecast remains 60 percent favorable for launch of the SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services-1 (CRS-1) mission.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was rolled to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 Saturday night, following a slight weather delay. The rocket will be elevated to its vertical position today, powered and fueled ahead of the 8:35 p.m. EDT liftoff.

Launch coverage will begin at 7 p.m. on NASA Television and http://www.nasa.gov/ntv .

Image above: SpaceX recently performed a demonstration roll to the launch pad of its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

› View High-res

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Image above: The SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule that will fly the CRS-1 mission to the International Space Station stand at Space Launch Complex 40 after rollout Oct. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

› View High-res

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Falcon 9 Fueled for Flight

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 11:56:25 PM GMT

The fuel and liquid oxygen tanks in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket have been loaded this evening as the countdown continues toward a liftoff at 8:35 p.m. EDT. The Falcon 9's Merlin engines – nine on the first stage – generate a combined 855,000 pounds of thrust at launch. The second stage is powered by a single Merlin engine.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

'Everything is Looking Real Good for Launch'

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:42:31 AM GMT

The weather forecast for tonight's liftoff has improved to an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions at the 8:35 p.m. EDT launch time. There are no technical problems with the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket nor with the Dragon capsule loaded with cargo bound for the International Space Station. "Everything is looking real good for launch this evening," NASA Launch Commentator Mike Curie said. The rocket is to launch from Space launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., which is adjacent to NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Controllers Begin Final Launch Countdown Preps

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:16:41 AM GMT

At T-20 minutes, SpaceX controllers continue through tonight's countdown toward an 8:35 p.m. EDT liftoff of the SpaceX CRS-1 mission. The team will conduct a launch poll shortly and then move into the final portion of the countdown including beginning the auto sequence stage.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Rocket and Spacecraft on Internal Power

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:27:40 AM GMT

Both the Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket are running on battery power for the last minutes of the countdown. Everything remains on schedule for the 8:35 p.m. EDT launch of the SpaceX mission to the International Space Station.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Go for Launch!

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:32:43 AM GMT

The SpaceX launch director has given the team's "go" for launch at 8:35 p.m. EDT.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

LIFTOFF!

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:35:12 AM GMT

The Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule lift off of the pad on a mission to open America's new operational cargo capability to the International Space Station!

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Falcon Stages Properly to Continue Climb into Orbit

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:38:51 AM GMT

The Falcon 9's first stage burned its complement of fuel and oxygen and is falling toward the ocean as the second stage picks up the work of placing the Dragon capsule into its proper orbit.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Dragon Flying Solo in Orbit

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:46:42 AM GMT

The Dragon capsule separated from the second stage and is now flying by itself in orbit following a flawless countdown and launch to the International Space Station on its own.

Image above: The SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule lift off Oct. 7. Photo credit: NASA

› View Larger image

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Dragon Deploys Solar Wings

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:51:29 AM GMT

The Dragon capsule reached its planned orbit of 212 miles above Earth and is on course to catch up to the station during the next couple of days. It has opened the two solar arrays on the side of the spacecraft to power its systems from sunlight.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

SpaceX CRS-1 Launch

The Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule lift off of the pad on a mission to open America's new operational cargo capability to the International Space Station!

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA Celebrates Milestone Liftoff

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 03:03:52 AM GMT

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell celebrated the successful liftoff of a landmark cargo mission to the International Space Station tonight as a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft loaded with supplies flew on its own in orbit. The flight is the first operational resupply mission for the company and NASA.

"This was a critical event in spaceflight tonight," Bolden said. "We're once again launching spacecraft from American soil with the supplies our astronauts need in space. NASA and the nation are embarking on an ambitious program of space exploration."

Hawthorne, Calif.-based Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, launched its Dragon capsule aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 8:35 p.m. EDT, capping a flawless countdown with spectacular show of light and thunder from the rocket's nine engines.

Dragon will rendezvous with the orbiting laboratory Wednesday so astronaut and station commander Suni Williams can reach out with the station's robot arm and grapple the Dragon. The spacecraft will then be joined to one of the station's ports where astronauts will unload its 1,000 pounds of materials. They will also load about 2,000 pounds of used equipment and experiments inside the Dragon to be returned to Earth safely in about three weeks.

Source