It ’s official . concord to Elon Musk , chief executive officer of secret space - transport company SpaceX , NASA has given the terminal go - ahead on a launching that , if successful , will mark the dawn of a new era in space travel : the geological era of commercial-grade space vehicle . Liftoff is schedule for Saturday morning .
At 4:55 a.m. EST , SpaceX’sDragon capsuleandFalcon 9 rocketwill launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station , in the first of what NASA hopes will be many successful trips to and from the International Space Station . If the Dragon ejector seat can successfully dock with the ISS , it will represent a major milestone in NASA ’s plan to place the task of crew and cargo despatch in the hands of private company .
“ It is , by all account , an important footprint , bordering on a giant bounce , for commercial-grade space , ” said Michael Lopez - Alegria , a former NASA astronaut and space station commander who now lead the Commercial Spaceflight Federation .
Here are the Mission Highlights , according to SpaceX :
During the mission , Dragon must perform a series of complex task , each gift important technical challenges ( timeline could change ):
SpaceX ’s Falcon 9 skyrocket launch a Dragon spacecraft into orbital cavity from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station .
Dragon orbits Earth as it travels toward the International Space Station .
Dragon ’s sensors and trajectory systems are subject to a series of complicated tryout to determine if the vehicle is ready to berth with the outer space place ; these run include maneuvers and systems checks that see the fomite do within 1.5 miles of the post .
NASA decides if Dragon is allowed to attempt to tie up with the station . If so , Dragon approaches ; it is captured by station ’s machinelike arm and attached to the station . This demand extreme precision even as both Dragon and place arena the Earth every 90 minutes .
TBD : Astronauts open Dragon ’s crosshatch , unload supplies and fill Dragon with return consignment .
After about two weeks , Dragon is detach from the station and proceeds to Earth , land in the Pacific , hundreds of nautical mile west of Southern California .
Fingers crossed for a successful mission , everybody . Remember , tomorrow will mark only the third flight of the company ’s Falcon 9 launching fomite , and only the second of its Dragon Capsule . In fact , according to SpaceX , tomorrow ’s escape will be “ the first for a act of all - fresh component part necessary to berth with the International Space Station . If any aspect of the mission is not successful , SpaceX will instruct from the experience and try again . ”
You ’ll be able-bodied to watch the launch subsist via webcastat the SpaceX website . You ’ll also detect tons more info — including thing like detailed delegation timelines , what kind of cargo the capsule will be carry to and from the ISS , and Dragon abridgment recovery function — in this informational packet .
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and culture news in your inbox daily .
intelligence from the future , delivered to your present .
You May Also Like
