TO THE MOON, MARS, AND BEYOND

Many folks would like to see us back on the Moon and developing its resources.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Returns To Earth With Pacific Splashdown


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SpaceX Dragon Capsule Returns To Earth With Pacific Splashdown

UPDATE: The capsule's successful splashdown was confirmed at 11:42 EDT.
by Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Assistant Managing Editor
Date: 31 May 2012 Time: 10:05 AM ET

This story was updated at 11:04 a.m. EDT.
The world's first commercial space cargo ship, the unmanned Dragon capsule, has begun its return trip from the International Space Station back to Earth today (May 31).
Built by commercial company Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), the Dragon capsule was detached from the space station by astronauts using the outpost's robotic arm, which officially released the spacecraft at 5:49 a.m. EDT (0949 GMT). At 10:51 a.m. EDT (1451 GMT), Dragon fired its Draco thrusters to exit orbit and begin its descent.
The vehicle is due to splash down in the Pacific Ocean at 11:44 a.m. EDT (1544 GMT).
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By Alan Boyle
SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule parachuted to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean today, ending the first-ever commercial mission to the International Space Station.
The 19-foot-long (6-meter-long), gumdrop-shaped Dragon made history last week as the first U.S. craft to reach the orbital station since last year's retirement of the space shuttle fleet, and it made history today as the first commercial craft to return a shipment from orbit.
The demonstration flight began on May 22 with the Dragon's launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission reached its climax last Friday when astronauts used the space station's robotic arm to pull the Dragon in to its docking port on the the station's Harmony module. On the following day, when station crew members entered the Dragon for the first time, NASA astronaut Don Pettit gushed over its new-car smell.
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NASA was showing the splashdown operations.
- LRK -
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[Was playing video of splashdown. - LRK]

NASA TV’s PUBLIC, MEDIA CHANNELS NOW IN HD
NASA Television’s Public (101) and Media (103) channels are now transmitting in high definition. 

NASA Television’s Public Channel (channel 101), the "NASA TV" most often carried by cable and satellite service providers, provides coverage of NASA missions and events, plus documentaries, archival and other special programming.

NASA TV’s Media Channel (channel 103) provides mission coverage, news conferences and relevant video and audio materials to local, national and international news-gathering organizations.
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[SpaceX following their Dragon Capsule Splashdown. - LRK -]

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Will be interesting to see what Orbital Science does.
- LRK -

After a successful journey to the International Space Station, the SpaceX Dragon capsule was released by the station's robotic arm and started its journey back to earth.
ISS Expedition 31 crew members released the Dragon from its grips at 5:49 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft then began a series of departure burns and maneuvers that allowed it to move beyond the 656-foot "keep out sphere" around the ISS.
The Dragon is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 11:44 a.m., hundreds of miles west of Baja, Calif., NASA said.
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http://tinyurl.com/74x8kxf

SpaceX Dragon image Google search result - LRK -
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Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, is a space transport company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by former PayPal entrepreneur Elon Musk. It has developed the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 space boosters, both of which are built with a goal of becoming reusable launch vehicles. SpaceX has also launched the Dragon spacecraft to be flown into orbit by the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. On 25 May 2012, SpaceX made history as the world's first privately held company to send a cargo load, the Dragon spacecraft, to the International Space Station.[4]

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Dragon Capsule opened - Next, return to Earth.


The capsule has been opened at the ISS and the word is - "There was no sign of any kind of (debris) floating around," Pettit radioed to Mission Control, adding that Dragon "smells like a brand new car."

I wonder if it will smell that way when it returns to Earth and is retrieved and opened?  
LRK
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UPDATE 1-Astronauts float inside SpaceX Dragon capsule

Sat May 26, 2012 12:22pm EDT

* Capsule to return to Earth Thursday
* SpaceX to deliver station cargo for NASA
* 2nd freighter to debut this year
By Irene Klotz
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. May 26 (Reuters) - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station opened the hatch and floated inside a Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon capsule on Saturday, the first privately owned spaceship to reach the orbital outpost, NASA said.
Running ahead of schedule, station commander Oleg Kononenko and flight engineer Don Pettit opened the hatch to Dragon just before 6 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT), NASA mission commentator Josh Byerly reported from Mission Control in Houston.
The bell-shaped capsule, which was making its second test flight, arrived at the space station on Friday.
The crew wore protective masks and goggles, but the interior of Dragon, which is 350 cubic feet (10 cubic metres), about the size of a large walk-in closet, proved clean.
"There was no sign of any kind of (debris) floating around," Pettit radioed to Mission Control, adding that Dragon "smells like a brand new car."
"It looks like it carries about as much cargo as I could put in my pickup truck," Pettit later told reporters during an in-flight press conference.
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Dragon (spacecraft)

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The Dragon is a reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX, a private space transportation company based in Hawthorne, California. During itsuncrewed maiden flight in December 2010, Dragon became the first commercially-built and operated spacecraft to be recovered successfully from orbit.[6] On 25 May 2012, an uncrewed variant of Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to successfully rendezvous with theInternational Space Station (ISS).[7][8][9]
Dragon is contracted to deliver cargo to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program, and is scheduled to begin regular cargo flights in August 2012.[10] Additionally, NASA awarded SpaceX a Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) contract in April 2011. The Dragon is planned to carry up to seven astronauts, or a mixture of personnel and cargo, to and from low Earth orbit. The Dragon's heat shield is furthermore designed to withstand Earth re-entry velocities from potential Lunar and Martian spaceflights.[11]
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Continue to follow updates at SpaceX.
LRK

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Dragon Becomes First Commercial Spacecraft to Attach to the Space Station
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'New car smell' as space station crew enters Dragon capsule

By Melissa Gray, CNN
updated 3:05 PM EDT, Sat May 26, 2012(CNN) -- "Like the smell of a brand-new car" were the words of International Space Station astronaut Don Pettit on Saturday after he carefully opened the hatch and entered the Dragon capsule for his first glimpse inside.

Dragon connected with the station Friday, making history as the first private capsule to reach the orbiting spacecraft.

Pettit opened the hatch at 5:53 a.m. ET with Russian cosmonaut and station commander Oleg Kononenko by his side. The two men, wearing T-shirts, khaki shorts, goggles and masks gave the thumbs up to the camera after they floated inside.
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http://news.discovery.com/space/astronauts-spacex-120526.html

SPACEX CAPSULE HAS 'NEW CAR' SMELL

After the hatches between the space station and the Dragon spacecraft were opened, astronauts ventured in for the first time

Sat May 26, 2012 05:07 PM ET 
Content provided by Kerry Sheridan, AFP
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Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, is a space transport company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by former PayPal entrepreneur Elon Musk. It has developed the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 space boosters, both of which are built with a goal of becoming reusable launch vehicles. SpaceX has also launched the Dragon spacecraft to be flown into orbit by the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. On 25 May 2012, SpaceX made history as the world's first privately held company to send a cargo load, the Dragon spacecraft, to the International Space Station.[4]

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Friday, May 25, 2012


Dragon Captured by ISS Crew

The International Space Station crew successfully captured the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at 9:56 am
EDT.

CAPTURE COMPLETE!!! The space station's robotic arm has grappled SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft!


International Space Station (ISS) Grapples SpaceX Dragon Capsule (5/25/2012, May 25th)

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NPR BREAKING NEWS:

Space Station's Robotic Arm Successfully Captures SpaceX Capsule

The crew aboard the International Space Station successfully used the robotic arm to capture the unmanned Dragon capsule in an attempt to reel it in for docking. The Dragon is on track to become the first commercial vessel to visit the space station orbiting Earth. It rocketed into space Tuesday on a mission to deliver a half-ton of supplies.

More at NPR.org:
http://n.npr.org/NPRI/jN314486164_1321818_1321817_Z.htm 
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NASA TV’s PUBLIC, MEDIA CHANNELS NOW IN HD
NASA Television’s Public (101) and Media (103) channels are now transmitting in high definition. 

Minimalist comments as have been recovering from a case of shingles on my right arm and hand and have been in computer withdrawal for the last several months.

Many thanks to you who have sent me links and I only replied with a few thumb poked cellphone email replies.

Geoff in New Zealand sent me this link about Neil Armstrong yesterday.
As the first person to walk on the moon, he is a man whose name will be remembered for generations to come. But one of the other well-known things about Neil Armstrong is that he hardly ever gives interviews.

Hope to bring you more as the arm and hand get over the prickly pain of shingles.
I would not wish this on my worst enemy.  I have a much better appreciation for being left handed. :-)

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
WordPress: http://lrkellogg.wordpress.com/
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Newsletter: https://mailman1.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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http://www.nasa.gov/
The International Space Station crew successfully captured the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at 9:56 am

Success! Space station snags SpaceX Dragon capsule

An astronaut using the International Space Station's robot arm successfully plucks a commercial cargo ship out of open space to complete a dramatic rendezvous.
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Wed, 9 May, 2012Commercial Crew Needs Commercial Help
It is easy to make the case that Elon Musk, founder and “chief designer” of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), has given enough to the cause of spaceflight
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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