SpaceX Dragon Capsule Returns To Earth With Pacific Splashdown

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/spacex-dragon-capsule-return-earth-pacific_n_1559393.html

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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http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/31/11983318-spacexs-dragon-spaceship-splashes-down-ending-historic-mission?lite

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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http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

[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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http://www.facebook.com/SpaceX

[SpaceX following their Dragon Capsule Splashdown. - LRK -]

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Will be interesting to see what Orbital Science does.

- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
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http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2405092,00.asp

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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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX 

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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