Space: Commercial Rocket Ready to Do NASA's Heavy Lifting

[bystander]

New Commercial Rocket Ready to Do NASA's Heavy Lifting
Space.com - 2010 Feb 18

NASA's space shuttles are flying their final missions this year, but one commercial spaceflight company in California has a new, privately-built rocket standing ready to replace the aging workhorse.

Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) new Falcon 9 rocket is already assembled in Cape Canaveral, Fla. for a debut in the first half of 2010. A following flight, sometime between May and November, would launch the cargo-carrying Dragon spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station.

Dragon could also eventually loft NASA astronauts into space by as early as 2014. Just don't call it a taxi service, said Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX. The company, founded by PayPal entrepreneur Elon Musk, has already launched satellites to orbit on its smaller, unmanned Falcon 1 rockets.

The Falcon 9 Rocket and Dragon Spacecraft
SpaceX's First Falcon 9 Rocket at SLC-40

[bystander]

SpaceX Falcon 9 Successfully Launches, Reaches Orbit
Universe Today - 04 June 2010

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

It was history in the making that could have a huge bearing on the future of US spaceflight. The commercial space company SpaceX successfully launched their Falcon 9 rocket on Friday, with what seemed to be a picture-perfect lift-off and flight. The Falcon 9 rocket performed magnificently (at least from initial reports), hitting all the flight parameters precisely on time. The SpaceX team overcame delays for telemetry problems, a boat that unknowingly sailed into the restricted zone of the launch range, and one last-second launch abort on an earlier try. The team then successfully recycled the engines and sent the rocket off on a beautiful launch. Video from the rocket in flight was streamed online, showing the stage separation and engine cutoff, with a view of Earth in the background.

The Falcon 9 blasted off at 2:45 p.m. EDT (1845 GMT) from launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The nine Merlin engines, fueled by liquid oxygen and RP-1 kerosene rocket fuel, provided a million pounds of thrust, sending the rocket to orbit in just over 9 minutes.

Having a rocket succeed on its maiden voyage is quite unusual (it took the Atlas rocket 13 tries for success), so the SpaceX team has to be extremely pleased with not only the rocket's performance, but the team's ability to overcome problems and press on with a successful launch.

180-foot (55 meter)-high Falcon 9 carried a mock-up of SpaceX's Dragon capsule. With this success, the next flight may be a flight to the International Space Station to practice docking techniques — it won't actually dock, but practice approach. If that goes well, the next flight might actually dock and bring supplies to the ISS.

Congratulations to SpaceX!

[bystander]

SpaceX Falcon 9 First Launch Updates
Space.com - 04 June 2010

Dragon Capsule Has Reached Orbit
4 June 2010 2:55 p.m. EDT

Falcon 9's second stage engines have shut down and its mock Dragon 9 capsule has reached orbit.

Falcon 9 First Stage Separates
4 June 2010 2:50 p.m. EDT

Falcon 9's first stage has separated from the second stage, which will continue traveling to space.

LIFTOFF! Falcon 9 Launches
4 June 2010 2:46 p.m. EDT

SpaceX has lifted off its Falcon 9 rocket on its inaugural flight.

Falcon 9 Could Launch at 2:45 PM
4 June 2010 2:17 p.m. EDT

A new launch target time for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has been set for 2:45 p.m. EDT (1845 GMT).

"Everything looks good for a reset and another launch attempt today," SpaceX commentator Robyn Ringuette said.

SpaceX May Try Again to Launch Falcon 9 Today
4 June 2010 2:07 p.m. EDT

A new launch target time has not been set yet, but SpaceX says it still has time to recycle the countdown and try again to launch its first Falcon 9 flight.

Last-Minute Abort for Falcon 9
4 June 2010 1:33 p.m. EDT

SpaceX aborted its planned launch test of Falcon 9 when a glitch showed up at the very last minute. There could still be a chance to try again today, SpaceX said.

Falcon 9 Go for Launch
4 June 2010 1:13 p.m. EDT

The countdown has resumed toward a launch for Falcon 9 at 1:30 p.m. EDT.

Falcon 9 to Launch No Earlier Than 1:30 PM
4 June 2010 1:07 p.m. EDT

SpaceX is now aiming for a launch of its Falcon 9 no earlier than 1:30 p.m. EDT, allowing time for a boat that had strayed dangerously close to be moved clear to safety.

Stray Boat Further Stalls Falcon 9 Launch
4 June 2010 12:56 p.m. EDT

A boat has apparently strayed too close to the Falcon 9 launch pad, further stalling the planned liftoff.

Falcon 9 Now Aiming for 1 PM Launch
4 June 2010 12:42 p.m. EDT

SpaceX is working to resolve the telemetry issue for a possible 1 p.m. EDT launch time. The weather remains go for launch.

SpaceX Troubleshooting Blocked Signal
4 June 2010 12:22 p.m. EDT

SpaceX is trying to sort through an issue with the information coming from its Falcon 9 rocket. The strongback structure on the launch pad has been clocking telemetry signals from the vehicle, the company said, so SpaceX is troubleshooting that issue now.

Click here for launch commentary from Spaceflight Now.

First Falcon9 Launch Temporarily Stalled
4 June 2010 12:01 p.m. EDT

Commercial rocket firm SpaceX is still holding in the countdown to launch its Falcon 9 for the first time. The rocket is fully loaded with its liquid oxygen and liquid kerosene fuel.

"Weather continues to be favorable for our launch today," SpaceX commentator Robyn Raguette said. "We are still waiting for our new T-zero time."

Falcon 9 Holding at T-15
4 June 2010 11:30 a.m. EDT

The inaugural flight of the Falcon 9 rocket is still holding at T-15 minutes. SpaceX commentator Robyn Raguette says the range has asked them to hold to check telemetry. The rocket and weather are currently in green, or "go" conditions.

Falcon 9 Liftoff Time Pushed Back
4 June 2010 11:23 a.m. EDT

SpaceX has pushed back the planned liftoff time of its Falcon 9 rocket, which was slated to launch at 11:20 a.m. EDT. The range is asking the company to hold while they check out telemetry connections. The countdown is currently holding at T-15 minutes.

Countdown Underway for First Launch of Private Rocket
4 June 2010 11:06 a.m. EDT

The countdown is underway for the first launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket today. Weather forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for the flight.

SpaceX Prepares to Launch Private Rocket for First Time
4 June 2010 10:56 a.m. EDT

Private company SpaceX is preparing to launch its Falcon 9 rocket on its maiden launch test this morning at 11:20 a.m. EDT (1520 GMT). The company has a four-hour window in which to launch.

[bystander]

Spirialing 'UFO' Over Australia Was Likely Falcon 9 Rocket
Universe Today - 05 June 2010

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N74l1XHV ... r_embedded[/youtube]

Logical explanations take all the fun out of UFO's. After the Falcon 9 rocket launched successfully, later, over on the other side of the world, people in Australia saw a spiraling object in their early morning skies, about 6 am local time. Geoffrey Wyatt, from the Sydney Observatory, said it appeared to have been the Falcon 9 rocket, which launched about an hour earlier.
...
The image is from the 9MSN website in Australia, where you can see more images.

If you recall, there was another spiraling rocket that created a visual sensation over Norway in December of 2009.

Asterisk: Weird phenomenon over Norway

Oh, those Falcon UFOs!
Bad Astronomy - 05 June 2010

Yesterday, a lot of Australians reported seeing a bizarre UFO.

Just before 6:00 a.m. local time, numerous reports came in about a spiral of light in the sky with a bright central spot. The light was actually spinning around, like a pinwheel! One site has pretty cool video of it, and pictures are turning up on the web as well.

Sound familiar? Yeah, it should: these reports are almost exactly like a spiral shaped light seen over Norway last year. The Norway sighting — a picture of it is below, on the right — was positively identified as a Russian missile, so of course as soon as I heard of this new Aussie sighting the first thing I thought of was that it was a rocket booster.

So I leaned over my keyboard and was about to Google "rocket launch schedule" or something similar, when I suddenly stopped. I smiled, leaned back, and almost literally facepalmed myself. Gee, I thought to myself, what rocket would’ve launched yesterday morning?

Duh: the SpaceX Falcon 9! The private company successfully held its first test launch of the big rocket, blasting off from its Florida pad at 18:45 UT Friday — which is 04:45 Sydney, Australia time.
...
So despite the nonsense you’ll hear from the news sites and the bulletin boards that will claim this is some sort of transdimensional stargate warp, I think we have a pretty good idea that we actually do have a ÜFO here, as long as it’s an Übercool Falcon (in) Orbit.

[Beyond]

It is rather neat that the Goverment is actually pushing private space things. The trouble is, that when they become profitable, they will tax the hell out of them and it will end up being just as expensive as when the Goverment handled it!

[bystander]

Falcon 9 Launches Successfully With Dragon Capsule
Universe Today - 08 Dec 2010

SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 with Dragon capsule. [i](Credit: Robert Pearlman of collectSPACE via Twitpic)[/i]

---

SpaceX successfully launched their Falcon 9 rocket today, December 8, lifting off at 10:43 a.m. EST (1543 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 40. The launch marks an historic milestone for the commercial space company and NASA’s COTS program. Video feed from the rocket showed the Dragon capsule successfully entering orbit and then separating from the rocket’s second stage.

The launch looked picture perfect, after an earlier abort during the first countdown of the morning, due to a false telemetry reading on the Falcon9′s abort system. The second run went without a hitch, and the first and second stages performed nominally, right down the center. At 10:52 a.m. EST (1552 GMT), the Dragon jettisoned the Falcon 9′s second stage and began orbiting Earth.

“It’s a great day here at SpaceX,” said SpaceX director of marketing Emily Shanklin on the webcast. “Looks like we had a great flight. We’re now off to join the rest of the SpaceX employees.”

Unfortunately, that meant the video feed and commentary would end, just as the Dragon capsule’s 2-3 orbits would begin. The craft is expected to splashdown 500 miles west of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean at about 2 PM EST. We’ll provide updates on how the spacecraft survives re-entry as the news becomes available.

This is the first demonstration flight under the $1.6 billion Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract that the space firm has with NASA. Under this contract SpaceX is required to fly three demonstration flights before conducting 12 supply missions to the International Space Station (ISS)

SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 carrying Dragon spacecraft
Universe Today - 08 Dec 2010

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Spaceflight Now | Falcon 9 | Mission Status Center

[bystander]

The Future is Now: SpaceX Flight 100% Successful
Universe Today | 08 Dec 2010

Dragon capsule recovery. [i](Credit: SpaceX)[/i]

---

Hailed as a both a great day for commercial spaceflight as well as for NASA, SpaceX made history on Wednesday with a 100% successful test flight of its Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket. “This is a new way of doing business,” said Alan Lindenmoyer manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office and I would say today this is an indication that this public/private partnership is working and has proven to be successful. Thanks to SpaceX for the early Christmas present – this is a great way to start the holidays.”

Gallery: Dragon/Falcon 9 Launch and Recovery Photos, Vidoes

[neufer]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Spacex Cheese? Spacex Carries Wheel Of Cheese Into Space
Posted December 10, 2010 1:20 PM

<<Spacex revealed the “secret” cargo aboard its Dragon space capsule Wednesday: a wheel of LeBrouere cheese. The company, which is formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., disclosed that the clandestine payload brought into Earth orbit aboard its spacecraft was in reference to British comedy troupe Monty Python and its famous Cheese Shop skit, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Chief Executive of Spacex and the co-founder of PayPal, Elon Musk, would not say what the secret payload was during a news conference following Wednesday’s liftoff because he said he did not want to overshadow the historic launch with a joke. “Before the successful launch, voyage, and recovery of Spacex’s Dragon Spacecraft, the first time in history a commercial company has recovered a spacecraft from orbit, reporters were buzzing with news of a ‘secret’ payload, stowed on board,” Spaceex said, adding “It was a payload so secret, Spacexers made it Top Secret”

The Spacex launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., marked the first time a private company developed and lifted a space capsule into orbit and survived reentry.>>

[neufer]

SpaceX Reveals Secret Cargo on Its Orbital Test Flight: Space Cheese!

Click to view full size image

Click to view full size image

<<This top-secret space passenger doesn’t have the attributes often associated with astronauts–instead of being labeled brave and resolute, this passenger has been described as nutty, sweet, and buttery. Meet Le Brouere, a space-faring wheel of cheese.

The cheese in question was a passenger on SpaceX’s successful test of its Dragon crew capsule this week, a flight CNN describes as:

One small step for a cheese, one giant leap fromage-kind.

The mild French cheese Le Brouere isn’t the first of its kind to be blasted towards space, but it is the first to reach orbit and to be successfully recovered post-flight. The cheese orbited the Earth twice before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. The test flight was the first ever orbital reentry and recovery mission by a commercial space company.

The cheese was chosen in reverent reference to sketch comedy troupe Monty Python, company spokeswoman Kirstin Brost told CNN: The block of fermented curd was a nod to one of the group’s best-known sketches, “Cheese Shop.” The wheel, described only as “very big,” was being towed back to California aboard a barge along with the spacecraft and “basking in the glow of being the first cheese to travel to orbit on a commercial spacecraft.” The cheese was bolted to the floor of the capsule and covered with a sign warning any onlookers that the contents were “Top Secret!”>>>>

[bystander]

NASA Tentatively Approves Plan for Private Spaceship to Visit Space Station
Space.com | 2011 July 25

Artist's illustration of SpaceX's Dragon space capsule in Earth orbit. [i](Credit: SpaceX)[/i]

---

NASA and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) “technically have agreed” to combine the two remaining flights designed to prove the Hawthorne, Calif., company can deliver cargo to the International Space Station, but formal approval for the mission is still pending, a senior NASA official said.

“We technically have agreed with SpaceX that we want to combine those flights,” William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, said at a July 21 media briefing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “We are doing all the planning to go ahead and have those missions combined, but we haven’t given them formal approval yet.”

The current plan calls for SpaceX to launch a Dragon capsule aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on Nov. 30. Dragon would then rendezvous and berth with the space station on Dec. 7, NASA spokesman Joshua Buck told Space News July 22.

Originally, SpaceX would have demonstrated rendezvous and berthing capabilities in separate flights. SpaceX wants to combine the second and third Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) demonstration flights in order to begin making regular cargo deliveries under the $1.6 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract NASA awarded the company in 2008.

[Photos: The Falcon and Dragons of SpaceX]

SpaceX Pushes for Mission to Space Station on Next Flight
Universe Today | Nancy Atkinson | 2011 July 26

[bystander]

Space Station Puts Out Welcome Mat for Private Spaceships
Space.com | Mike Wall | 2011 July 28

Despite the grounding of NASA's storied space shuttle fleet, American spaceships are expected to make three trips to the International Space Station in the coming months.

All of these visits, however, will be by private vehicles. The California-based company SpaceX is set to launch its Dragon capsule toward the station on Nov. 30 on its second and final orbital test flight, NASA officials announced last week. And if all goes well, the firm could launch another Dragon capsule on its first operational cargo-carrying mission three or four months later.

The Virginia-based company Orbital Sciences, for its part, is planning to send its Cygnus capsule racing toward the station in February 2012.

So, even though the shuttle program has been retired, the future may not be so bleak for American spaceflight, many in the private sector stress.

"I believe we're on the cusp of a golden age of industry-led innovation," Garrett Reisman, head of SpaceX's commercial crew development program, said today (July 28) at the New Space 2011 conference, which is being held here at NASA's Ames Research Center. [NASA's Space Shuttle Program In Pictures: A Tribute]

Not carrying astronauts yet

The three upcoming flights to the space station won't be carrying any astronauts. They're being made under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, which aims to encourage the development of private cargo-carrying craft to fill the gap left by the retirement of the shuttle fleet.

SpaceX holds a $1.6 billion NASA contract to make 12 supply flights to the orbiting lab. Last December, the company made its first orbital test flight with its Dragon capsule, which launched atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

The Nov. 30 mission will be the Dragon/Falcon system's second demonstration flight under the COTS program. While the first Dragon test flight orbited Earth twice and then splashed down in the Pacific ocean, SpaceX wants this second one to dock with the space station.

And, the capsule will carry cargo on both legs of the journey, SpaceX officials said.

"If we're up there, we might as well take some stuff up and bring some stuff back down," Reisman told SPACE.com.

If all goes well with that flight, Reisman added, the next Dragon mission would likely not be a demo — it would be a fully operational re-supply mission, the first of the 12 under SpaceX's contract. And it could happen as soon as March 2012.

Orbital Sciences, too

Cygnus Taurus 2 (Credit: Orbital Sciences)

Orbital Sciences also has a cargo re-supply contract. NASA is paying Orbital $1.9 billion to make eight flights using the company's Cygnus capsule and Taurus 2 rocket, both of which are under development.

The firm hopes to send the Taurus 2 on its first test flight this December, SpaceNews reported recently. A full demo run, during which Cygnus docks with the space station, is planned for two months later.

Both SpaceX and Orbital Sciences are interested in carrying more than just cargo to the orbiting lab. The companies are developing craft in hopes of one day transporting NASA astronauts to the outpost. For now, NASA spaceflyers will be hitching rides on Russian-built Soyuz vehicles.

SpaceX plans to upgrade the Dragon by installing seats and a launch-abort system. Orbital is developing an entirely different vehicle, a space plane called Prometheus.

But they're not the only ones. A private orbital space race is taking shape, as a handful of other firms —including Sierra Nevada Corp., Blue Origin, Excalibur Almaz and Boeing — are working on their own crew-carrying vehicles. [Vote Now! The Best Spaceships of All Time]

Both Boeing and Sierra Nevada have said they plan to be making manned flights by 2015. Sierra Nevada, in fact, hopes to be fully operational by then. (Commercial Crew Development (CCDev)

[bystander]

'Red Dragon' Mission Mulled as Cheap Search for Mars Life
Space.com | Mike Wall | 2011 July 31

SpaceX Dragon landing on Mars [i](Credit: SpaceX)[/i]

---

The search for signs of life on Mars may have just gotten a lot cheaper.

NASA is working with private spaceflight firm Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) to plan a mission that would search for evidence of life buried in the Martian dirt. The NASA science hardware would fly to the Red Planet aboard SpaceX's Dragon capsule, which the company is developing to ferry cargo and astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

This so-called "Red Dragon" mission, which could be ready to launch by 2018, would carry a cost of about $400 million or less, researchers said.

"I just want a cheap delivery system to go to Mars," said astrobiologist Chris McKay, of NASA's Ames Research Center here. "I don't care how it gets there." [The Falcon and Dragons of SpaceX]

Mission to Mars

The mission doesn't have an official name, McKay said. "Red Dragon" is just what he has been calling it informally.

McKay and his colleagues are developing the Red Dragon concept as a potential NASA Discovery mission, a category that stresses exploration on the relative cheap. NASA is currently vetting three Discovery candidates, one of which it will choose for a 2016 launch. That mission will be cost-capped at $425 million, not including the launch vehicle.

Red Dragon is not in that group of three finalists. NASA will make another call for Discovery proposals in 18 months or so, McKay said, and he and his team plan to be ready for that one. If Red Dragon is selected in that round, it could launch toward Mars in 2018.

Assuming that $425 million cap is still in place, Red Dragon could come in significantly under the bar.

"We'd have money left over to do some science," McKay told SPACE.com here Saturday (July 30) during the NewSpace 2011 conference, which was held at NASA Ames. "Wouldn't that be great?"

Drilling into the ice

Red Dragon wouldn't be the next Mars surface mission.

NASA is currently gearing up to send a car-size rover called Curiosity to Mars as the centerpiece of the agency's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. MSL is slated to launch this November and arrive at the Red Planet in August 2012.

Curiosity will use a suite of 10 sophisticated instruments to assess whether Mars is, or ever was, capable of supporting life. Red Dragon, on the other hand, would actually look for evidence of that life. [5 Bold Claims of Alien Life]

"We'd try to detect molecules that are proof of life, like DNA or perchlorate reductase," McKay said. "That's what we'd be searching for — proof of life through biomolecules."

The Martian surface today is bone-dry and bombarded by damaging ultraviolet radiation, making life unlikely to survive there. But Red Dragon would drill 3.3 feet (1 meter) or so underground, in an effort to sample reservoirs of water ice known to lurk under the red dirt.

Researchers are looking at two possible Martian sites for Red Dragon's mission, McKay said. One is the landing site of NASA's Phoenix lander; the other is where NASA's Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976. Both areas are known to harbor subsurface ice. [Infographic: Mars Landers and Rovers Since 1971]

Partnering with private spaceflight

SpaceX is developing the Dragon capsule under a NASA contract to resupply the International Space Station. The company also hopes NASA will use a human-rated version of Dragon to ferry astronauts to and from the orbiting lab, perhaps by 2015 or so.

But SpaceX has bigger dreams. Earlier this year, for example, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company hopes to send an astronaut to Mars within the next 10 to 20 years. That would beat NASA's timeline; the space agency has tentative plans to put boots on the Red Planet by the mid-2030s.

SpaceX is developing a heavy-lift rocket, called the Falcon Heavy, which could carry Dragon to Mars. The Falcon Heavy may launch for the first time by late 2012 or early 2013, Musk has said.

So using Dragon as a payload delivery system to Mars lines up with SpaceX's ambitious long-term plans. Indeed, Musk has noted Dragon's potential to aid exploration missions to other worlds.

"This would possibly be several tons of payload — actually, a single Dragon mission could land with more payload than has been delivered to Mars cumulatively in history," Musk told MSNBC's Alan Boyle recently.

And as the capabilities of private spaceflight firms like SpaceX improve, relying on them to carry hardware to other planets could make more and more economic sense for scientists like himself, McKay said.

"I want the commercial space sector to drive costs down," he said. He added, by way of analogy: "When I go on scientific expeditions to the polar regions [of Earth], I don't build a helicopter from scratch."

A Budget Trip to Mars
Discovery News | Irene Klotz | 2011 Aug 02

SpaceX founder has plans for humans to be able to get to Mars on the cheap.

• SpaceX is talking with NASA about a mission to drill to look for life.
• The mission, nicknamed 'Red Dragon,' would cost "millions, not billions."

SpaceX plans to get humans on Mars
PhysOrg | Deborah Braconnier | 2011 Aug 03

At an August conference hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed plans for how they hope to get humans on Mars within the next 20 years.

SpaceX: Mars Is Our Future
Universe Today | Jason Rhian | 2011 Aug 09

Elon Musk is not one to rest on prior accomplishments; he likes to continue to push forward – his plans for the future of commercial space flight reflect that philosophy. He has stated his plans to begin crewed flights to Mars. Musk thinks that humans can set foot on the red planet within the next 10 to 20 years. He stated that the rationale behind mankind becoming a multi-planet species should be obvious to all.

[bystander]

This is just a commentary. It is not meant to depict actual events.
I found it poignant and apropos. Click on the link below.

In 1961 the US pledged to send man to the moon. In 2010 the Constellation Program,
meant to return man to the moon, was ended. This is the aftermath.

[bystander]

Boeing Needs Space Pilots for Spaceship & Rocket Test Flights
Space | Tariq Malik | 2011 Aug 04

[i]A Boeing CST-100 spacecraft is shown atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket in this artist's illustration. The CST-100 is a capsule-based vehicle designed to carry seven astronauts into low-Earth orbit on trips to the International Space Station or other orbital destination. (Credit: Boeing)[/i]

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Boeing's new spaceship to fly astronauts into orbit for NASA and other customers has its rocket ride: an upgraded version of the Atlas 5 rocket currently used for satellite launches. All the company needs now are space test pilots.

In a deal with the rocket launch provider United Launch Alliance, Boeing has agreed to use the Atlas 5 rocket as the launch vehicle of choice for its new crewed spaceship, the Commercial Space Transportation-100 (CST-100).

The first piloted launch of an Atlas 5 rocket and CST-100 spacecraft is slated for late 2015, Boeing officials said in an Aug. 4 announcement.

Two Boeing space test pilots will fly the mission, which will blast off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, though the company is still searching for those crewmembers, as well as other astronaut candidates.

John Elbon, Boeing's vice president and program manager for commercial crew vehicles, said that picking a rocket to launch the CST-100 is a major step for the vehicle's development. [10 Private Spaceships Headed for Reality]

"It's another step toward making this a reality," Elbon told reporters in the Aug. 4 teleconference. "It's just really important for the country that we keep momentum … keep focus on this so that we can have a capability for launching Americans into space soon."

Boeing needs astronauts

Since NASA's 30-year space shuttle program shut down in July, the space agency currently has no American vehicle to launch astronauts into space.

Elbon said Boeing is currently looking for astronaut candidates to fly on the CST-100 spacecraft and while spaceflight experience is not required, former NASA astronauts are welcome to apply. [Video: Boeing's CST-100 Spaceship Revealed]

"We'll go through a selection process for that," Elbon said. "Certainly somebody that's flown in space would have good credentials and fare well in the selection process, I think."

Elbon said Boeing considered several rockets, including those planned by companies like SpaceX and ATK, to launch the CST-100. Since Boeing is a partner with Lockheed Martin in the United Launch Alliance, the final deal was subjected to increased scrutiny to ensure there was no bias in the selection, he added. No price or cost information was unveiled during the announcement.

Boeing builds the Delta 2 and Delta 4 family of rockets launched by the ULA, while Lockheed Martin builds the Atlas 5 boosters launched by the firm.

Boeing's new spaceship takes shape

[i]Helping to pave the road for the future of commercial spaceflight, Boeing is hard at work on the research and development of a new space capsule aimed at flying people to the International Space Station. (Credit: Boeing)[/i] [url=http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/boeing-new-capsule-concept-100625.html]Full Story[/url].

---

Boeing is one of four companies using NASA funding to develop commercial spaceships to launch astronauts into orbit for trips to the International Space Station. The company's CST-100 spacecraft is designed to be a reusable space capsule capable of flying up to seven people, or a mix of crew and cargo, on orbital spaceflights.

Boeing's CST-100 vehicle is about 15 feet (4.5 meters) wide and designed for reusability for up to 10 flights per capsule, Boeing officials have said. The spacecraft is not only intended for trips to the International Space Station, but also to ferry crews to future private space stations like the inflatable habitats envisioned by the Las Vegas-based company Bigelow Aerospace, which has partnered with Boeing to provide transportation to their outposts.

The Atlas 5 rocket is an expendable booster that has launched 26 missions for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, NASA and other customers, with a 100-percent success rate. The most recent Atlas 5 rocket launched on Friday (Aug. 5) to send NASA's Juno spacecraft on its way toward Jupiter. [Atlas 5 Rocket Launch Photos for NASA's Juno Mission]

The Atlas 5 rocket stands 191.2 feet (58.3 meters) tall and comes in several configurations. The rocket that launched the Juno spacecraft on Friday was aided by five strap-on solid rocket boosters. The version that will launch CST-100 will include only a single solid rocket booster, Boeing officials said.

NASA's space shuttle program retired for good last month after the final mission returned to Earth on July 21. The space agency is now in a years-long gap between the shuttle era's end and the availability of private spaceships like Boeing's CST-100 and others to launch Americans into orbit.

But until those private spaceships are operational, NASA must rely on its international partners for access to the International Space Station. NASA will include cargo on robotic delivery ships launched by Russia, Japan and the European space agencies, while American astronauts will fly on Russia's Soyuz vehicles.

Boeing received $92.3 million from NASA in April during the space agency's second round of its Commercial Crew Development Program (CCDev-2) to spur the development of private spaceflight vehicles. Three other companies — SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif.; Blue Origin of Kent, Wash.; Sierra Nevada Corp., of Louisville, Colo. — also received funding for their own private spaceship efforts.

Test flights planned

Boeing plans a tiered testing program for the CST-100 vehicle, starting with parachute drop tests and a ground-based demonstration of the spacecraft's launch abort system, an escape system designed to carry astronauts to safety in event of a rocket failure.

If successful, three test flights would follow in 2015, Elbon said. Those flights would include an unmanned launch test of the Atlas 5 rocket and capsule in early 2015, an in-flight launch abort system test in the middle of that year, then the actual crewed test flight at the end of 2015 carrying two pilots into space.

"Our approach is to build a reliable spacecraft built on existing simple systems and then integrate that with a proven launch vehicle, all focused on putting in place a very safe system," Elbon said. "One that will be reliable and one that can be operational as soon as practical so we can start flying U.S. crew from U.S. launch sites."

Still, Elbon said Boeing will need continued funding from NASA if it is to reach its goal of launching humans into orbit aboard CST-100 vehicles. The company's current funding level for the project will support the CST-100 through the preliminary design review stage, he added.

[rstevenson]

This is just a commentary. It is not meant to depict actual events.
I found it poignant and apropos. Click on the link below.

In 1961 the US pledged to send man to the moon. In 2010 the Constellation Program,
meant to return man to the moon, was ended. This is the aftermath.

Is something supposed to be happening there? I tried it in two common up-to-date browsers and each of them showed me a single picture, a partial picture next to it, and nothing else. And the code of the page (using View Source) seems to be messed up -- lots of browser sniffing stuff but not much else.

Rob

[bystander]

Is something supposed to be happening there? I tried it in two common up-to-date browsers and each of them showed me a single picture, a partial picture next to it, and nothing else. And the code of the page (using View Source) seems to be messed up -- lots of browser sniffing stuff but not much else.

Rob

There should be a slide bar at the bottom, or if you have a mouse with a wheel, roll the wheel.

[rstevenson]

Ah yes, how cool. Coolness trumps usability any day -- for some site developers.

Rob

[bystander]

NASA Picks 7 Private Spaceships for Trips to Edge of Space
Space.com | 2011 Aug 10

NASA has picked seven private spaceflight companies, each working to build a commercial spaceship, as its transportation of choice for launching experiments to the edge of space and back.

The space agency announced the selections Tuesday (Aug. 9), as part of the agency's Flight Opportunities Program. The seven commercial companies will receive two-year contracts to integrate and fly an indefinite number of technology payloads on their reusable suborbital vehicles, which fly to space but do not make a full orbit around the Earth. The flights will include manned and unmanned missions.

The contracts are worth a combined total of $10 million, and the flights will carry a diverse mix of payloads to meet the agency's research and technology needs, NASA officials said in a statement. [Vote! The Best Spaceships of All Time]

"Through this catalog approach, NASA is moving toward the goal of making frequent, low-cost access to near-space available to a wide range of engineers, scientists and technologists," said NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a statement. "The government's ability to open the suborbital research frontier to a broad community of innovators will enable maturation of the new technologies and capabilities needed for NASA's future missions in space."

The selected companies are:

• Armadillo Aerospace, based in Heath, Texas
• Near Space Corp., based in Tillamook, Ore.
• Masten Space Systems, based in Mojave, Calif.
• Up Aerospace Inc., based in Highlands Ranch, Colo.
• Virgin Galactic, based in Mojave, Calif.
• Whittinghill Aerospace LLC, based in Camarillo, Calif.
• XCOR, based in Mojave, Calif.

[bystander]

SpaceX: Dragon ISS Bound
Universe Today | Jason Rhian | 2011 Aug 15

[i]The next Dragon spacecraft is prepped for its mission. If all goes according to plan this Dragon will be headed to the International Space Station. (Credit: Roger Gilbertson/SpaceX)[/i]

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Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is preparing its next Dragon spacecraft for a trip to the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX has worked over the last several months to make sure that the spacecraft is set for the Nov. 30 launch date that has given to the commercial space company. If all goes according to plan, a little more than a week after launch – the Dragon will dock with the ISS.

NASA has technically agreed to allow SpaceX to combine all of the tests and demonstration activities that were originally slated to take place on two separate flights (COTS demo missions 2 and 3). SpaceX is working to further maximize the cost-effectiveness of this mission by including additional payloads in the Falcon 9’s second stage. These will be deployed after the Dragon separates from the rocket.

“SpaceX has been making steady progress towards our next launch,” said SpaceX’s Communications Director Kirstin Brost-Grantham. “There are a number of challenges associated with berthing with the International Space Station, but challenges are the norm here. With each mission we are making history.”

NASA is waiting to provide final approval of the mission’s combines objectives once any and all potential risks that are associated with the secondary payloads have been worked out.

There is a lot riding on the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract. If crew members on the orbiting laboratory can access the Dragon’s contents and the spacecraft conducts all of its requirements properly – it will go a long way to proving the viability of NASA’s new path toward using commercial spacecraft and it could usher in a new era of how space flight is conducted.

It is hoped that private-public partnerships could lower the cost related to access-to-orbit and in so doing also help to increase the reliability, safety and frequency of space flight.

SpaceX has been working from milestone to milestone in getting the next mission ready to launch. Just this week the company conducted what is known as a wet dress rehearsal or WDR of the Falcon 9 rocket out at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC 40). The Falcon 9 was loaded with propellant and went through all of the operations that lead up to launch – right down to T-1 second. At that point, the launch team stands down and the Falcon 9 is detanked.

SpaceX last launched from SLC 40 last December, during the intervening months the company has worked to upgrade the launch pad. New liquid oxygen or LOX tanks have been installed. These new tanks should streamline loading time from 90 minutes – to under 30 minutes. It is hoped that these efforts will allow the Falcon 9 to move from the hangar to liftoff – in under an hour.

SpaceX has launched the Falcon 9 twice and the Dragon spacecraft once – each completed the primary objectives successfully and helped to establish SpaceX as a leader in the NewSpace movement. SpaceX has inked many lucrative contracts, both domestic and foreign as a result. Besides the COTS contract, SpaceX is also one of the companies that has a contract under the Commercial Crew Development contract (phase-02) or CCDev-02.

[bystander]

SpaceX: Dragon and Falcon 9 Assembly Now Complete
Universe Today | Nancy Atkinson | 2012 Feb 27

[i]Dragon spaceship and Falcon 9 rocket just completed assembly at Cape Canaveral on Feb. 27, 2012. Credit: SpaceX[/i]

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Today SpaceX today released an image of the fully assembled Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket inside their facility at Cape Canaveral. This means the first test launch of a commercially built spacecraft to the International Space Station is just a bit closer. The exact date of the launch has not yet been announced after NASA and SpaceX agreed in early this year that the Feb. 7 date they were aiming for was not feasible. The demonstration flight – called COTS 2/3 – will be the premiere test flight in NASA’s new strategy to resupply the ISS with privately developed rockets and cargo carriers under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) initiative.

In a press conference earlier this month, NASA’s Mike Suffredini said SpaceX’s launch would be no earlier than March 20. “There are no big problems being worked but a lot of little things to wrap up,” he said. “I wouldn’t hold my breath, as it is a challenging date, but I would guess we’ll fly within a couple of weeks of that date. We’ll hold that date as we work towards the launch.”

Suffredini added that SpaceX is working on minor hardware modifications, plus they will need to do a wet dress rehearsal and hot fire test beforehand, so all that makes March 20 a challenging date. There’s a good window of opportunity between March 20 and the next Soyuz launch to bring the next crew to the ISS, which has been delayed due to problems with the Soyuz capsule. No firm date has been set for the Soyuz launch, but it will likely be late April or early May.

We’ll keep you posted when the tentative launch dates are announced.

And if you haven’t seen it yet, click to see a very cool panorama of the inside of the Dragon capsule.

Spacecraft assembled for first private shot to ISS
New Scientist | Short Sharp Science | Maggie McKee | 2012 Feb 28

[bystander]

SpaceX set to launch COTS 2 flight this Saturday
Planetary Society | Jason Davis | 2012 May 17

[i]The official mission patch for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Demo 2, SpaceX’s inaugural flight to the International Space Station. (Credit: SpaceX)[/i]

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This Saturday, SpaceX will attempt to make history by launching the first commercial spacecraft to berth with the International Space Station. The flight will demonstrate the Dragon spacecraft’s readiness to begin official cargo runs to the orbiting laboratory. NASA has signed off on twelve resupply flights, which could begin later this year. But before that happens, SpaceX has to prove their vehicle is up for the challenge.

It has been six years since NASA began accepting proposals for their Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. A press release at the time challenged private industry to "open new space markets and support the crew and cargo transportation needs of the International Space Station." SpaceX’s May 19 flight, scheduled for a 4:55AM EDT (8:55 UTC) liftoff, marks the culmination of NASA’s efforts to pass the banner of low-Earth orbit cargo services from the space shuttle program to the commercial spaceflight industry.

The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule have not flown since their first demonstration flight in December 2010, during which the Dragon became the first privately-built spacecraft to orbit the Earth and return to the ground intact for recovery. To date, only the governments of the United States, Russia and China have accomplished this feat.

Private spaceflight has been at the heart of differing opinions regarding U.S. space policy. SpaceX has become the most visible symbol of the burgeoning industry, and the outcome of this flight will likely be used as a talking point for stakeholders on all sides of the debate. But despite the clenched-teeth excitement surrounding the launch, the flight remains a demonstration of the Dragon’s ability, not an official cargo run. 520 kilograms of food and supplies are going up, and 660 will come down, none of which are mission-critical should the flight end in disaster.

Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Demo 2, or COTS 2, combines a list of SpaceX objectives that were originally slated to take place during two separate flights, with berthing not scheduled until the second (COTS 3). However, last year, SpaceX approached NASA about the possibility of combining the missions, and the space agency agreed.

Before proceeding, SpaceX had to overcome ongoing issues with the Dragon capsule’s software testing and validation. NASA and its International Space Station partners have to be assured that the Dragon will respond properly in the event flight controllers order it to stop its approach. Additionally, SpaceX alluded to their own concerns that the Dragon might call for an abort when one was not necessary.

Launch activities get started the previous evening on May 18, as the Falcon 9 is prepared for flight. The launch window of 4:55AM EDT (8:55 UTC) is an instantaneous launch window, meaning any delay in the count forces a scrub, with the next launch window occuring three days later. Why such narrow constraints? The Dragon will be consuming a lot of propellant as it performs its space station flyaround and demonstration maneuvers. SpaceX wants to launch only at times that will minimize the amount of fuel required to catch up with the International Space Station, which completes an orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes.

[bystander]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Don’t forget the Space X launch!
Discover Blogs | Bad Astronomy | 2012 May 18

Space X is looking good to launch its Falcon 9 + Dragon capsule on Saturday morning at 08:55 UTC (04:55 Eastern US time). NASA tweeted about it, saying there’s a 70% chance of good weather at that time. It’s Florida, so that can change in an instant. Check with NASA and Space X for updates.

Space X put together a press kit with details on the launch and mission activities. Via Universe Today I saw this nice video with a great CGI animation of what will happen:

It’s actually a couple of years old, but still fun to watch. NASA TV will be carrying the launch live, as will Space X, and Elon Musk — CEO of Space X– will be live-tweeting it.

Launch Day Timeline for SpaceX’s Dragon
Universe Today | Nancy Atkinson | 2012 May 18

SpaceX COTS 2 Mission Press Kit

[bystander]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

T-0 Launch Abort for Dragon
Universe Today | Nancy Atkinson | 2012 May 19

SpaceX Launch Cut Off At Last Second
Discovery News | Irene Klotz | 2012 May 19

SpaceX Launch Scrub Delays Space Station Mission
Discovery News | via AFP | 2012 May 19

SpaceX's Falcon 9 aborts liftoff due to abnormal engine reading
Planetary Society | Jason Davis | 2012 May 19

SpaceX launch aborted; next attempt Tuesday
Discover Blogs | Bad Astronomy | 2012 May 19

[bystander]

SpaceX Engineers Race to Repair Engines for May 22 Launch
Universe Today | Ken Kremer | 2012 May 20

[i]A team of SpaceX engineers diligently assess the cause of the May 19 launch abort for the Falcon 9 rocket poised at Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Repairs to a malfunctioning rocket engine are now underway. (Credit: Ken Kremer)[/i]

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Today’s (May 19 historic launch of the first ever privately developed rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS) was very surprisingly aborted at the last second when an engine glitch forced a dramatic shutdown of the Falcon 9 rockets 1st stage firing already in progress as the NASA launch commentator was in the middle of announcing liftoff.

SpaceX and NASA are now targeting liftoff of the mission dubbed COTS 2, for Tuesday, May 22 at 3:44 AM EDT from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. There is another launch opportunity on May 23.

Later today, SpaceX engineers determined that a faulty valve caused the engine failure. They are now in a race against time to complete all the repair work and mandatory assurance testing required in order to be ready to achieve the new May 22 launch date.

The Falcon 9 rocket was designed and developed by SpaceX and the first stage is powered by nine Merlin 1 C engines. As the countdown clock ticked down to T-minus zero, all nine engines ignited. But engine #5 suddenly developed a “high chamber pressure” and computers instantaneously ordered a shutdown of thrust generation by all nine engines just 0.5 seconds from liftoff and the rocket therefore never left the pad, said SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell.

“We’ve had a cutoff,” announced NASA launch commentator George Diller. “Liftoff did not occur. We’ve had a launch abort. Standing by.”

After draining the explosive propellants, SpaceX engineers began inspecting the engines later today within hours of the aborted liftoff to determine the cause of the rocket failure.

“This is not a failure,” Shotwell told reporters at a post scrub media briefing. “We aborted with purpose. It would have been a failure if we lifted off with an engine trending in this direction.”

This evening SpaceX announce they had determined the cause of the engine failure.

“Today’s launch was aborted when the flight computer detected slightly high pressure in the engine 5 combustion chamber, said SpaceX spokeswoman Kirstin Grantham. “We have discovered root cause and repairs are underway.”

“During rigorous inspections of the engine, SpaceX engineers discovered a faulty check valve on the Merlin engine. We are now in the process of replacing the failed valve. Those repairs should be complete tonight. We will continue to review data on Sunday. If things look good, we will be ready to attempt to launch on Tuesday, May 22nd at 3:44 AM Eastern.”

The purpose of Dragon is to carry some 1200 pounds of supplies up to orbit and dock at the ISS and partially replace the capabilities of NASA’s now retired space shuttle.

SpaceX is under contract with NASA to conduct twelve resupply missions to carry about 44,000 pounds of cargo to the ISS for a cost of some $1.6 Billion.

[bystander]

Repaired SpaceX Rocket Set for 2nd Blastoff Try on May 22
Universe Today | Ken Kremer | 2012 May 21

SpaceX engineers have successfully replaced a faulty valve in a first stage engine that triggered a launch abort on May 19 and that now clears the way for a second launch attempt of the firms Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft in the overnight hours early on Tuesday, May 22.

Litfoff of the Falcon 9/Dragon duo on the first private rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS) is slated for 3:44 AM on May 22 on the historic test flight mision dubbed COTS 2. ...