News & Analysis
Comment
george.leopold
Homer Hickam says we should scale up the X-37 as out next manned spacecraft.
elctrnx_lyf
SpaceX is private company and they are planning to successfully use the business ...
Update: Dragon spacecraft returns
George Leopold
12/8/2010 11:14 AM EST
WASHINGTON -- The unmanned commercial spacecraft launched into orbit Wednesday (Dec. 8) splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after circling the Earth twice.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX, Hawthorne, Calif.) said its Dragon spacecraft splashed down just after 2 p.m. EST, making it the first commercial vehicle to return from orbit. SpaceX said the test vehicle's three main parachutes opened on schedule to slow Dragon's descent after withstanding reentry temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees F.
Earlier in the day,. SpaceX successfully placed the unmanned spacecraft into orbit about nine minutes after liftoff from Launch Complex 40 at the Kennedy Space Center. An earlier launch attempt today was aborted, but the second attempt went off without a hitch.
The test flight is the first under a NASA program to promote commercial launch capabilities called Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. Dragon could eventually haul cargo and crews to the International Space Station. It is scheduled to rendezvous but not dock with the space station on its next flight.
SpaceX successfully demonstrated the ability to send a dummy capsule into orbit in June atop its two-stage Falcon 9 rocket. Today’s demonstration marks the first time the Dragon spacecraft was subjected to the friction and intense heat of reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere prior to splashdown.
|
|
|
|
|
pixies
12/8/2010 11:56 AM EST
It is truly impressive that such an undertaking can be accomplished by a private company. Maybe NASA can learn a thing or two from them on how to cut cost.
Sign in to Reply
yalanand
12/8/2010 12:39 PM EST
We should not forget to congratulate NASA on this occasion. Its under NASA's guidance SpaceX has launched this satellite. I really appreciate NASA for knowledge sharing and letting private players enter this domain.
Sign in to Reply
KB3001
12/8/2010 6:51 PM EST
This is supported by NASA pixies. It's part of a program to encourage private space launches.
Sign in to Reply
Sheetal.Pandey
12/8/2010 3:30 PM EST
Its really impressive. Also its great to know government allows private player to get in this domain. In government sometimes due to buearocracy things projects dont work out that can see light in private firms.Its mostly good if governments takes control on decision and private firms delivers.
Sign in to Reply
Rchandta1
12/8/2010 4:30 PM EST
Impressive. It should free up NASA to do long term research, especially projects that are not commercially viable at present.
Sign in to Reply
elPresidente
12/8/2010 6:25 PM EST
Impressive? Commercial efforts just now replicated what NASA did 50 years ago....FIFTY YEARS, KIDS
Sign in to Reply
KB3001
12/8/2010 6:53 PM EST
There is indeed nothing special technologically-speaking. It however signals a shift towards private investments in space programs, which might plug the whole of dwindling government funding.
Sign in to Reply
will99878898
12/8/2010 7:59 PM EST
hopefully they would through in some new tech to make it a 21th century rocket. ie. more energy efficient etc.
just like a new toyota corolla vs. a old vw beetle.
Sign in to Reply
nicolas.mokhoff
12/8/2010 7:14 PM EST
It was awe-inspiring when there was a Space Race to beat each other to the Moon. Here's to commercial rockets being up to the task to continue opening new space frontiers as NASA did with government (our taxes) money getting the U.S. to the Earth's satellite first.
Sign in to Reply
rcl7
12/8/2010 8:39 PM EST
Do you really think NASA would allow any commercial company with new (better than NASA) technology to launch from Kennedy? And Assist them?
Doubtful
Sign in to Reply
KB3001
12/9/2010 4:28 AM EST
They won't be able to because of the huge investments involved. NASA is using these companies to leverage private investment. I see them more as service providers than competitors.
Sign in to Reply
Robotics Developer
12/8/2010 10:27 PM EST
I am happy to hear that the commercial space efforts are paying off. I wonder if this could become a regular event in the near future or just an occasional news splash to spur further investment in private space efforts? Do we have any of the financial information on this launch? What did the ship cost? What will the cost to refurbish for another flight? What kind of payload can it deliver to orbit? Just wondering about all those neat details.. anyone know? How do the numbers compare to NASA's?
Sign in to Reply
DrQuine
12/9/2010 2:15 PM EST
It has been a good week for unmanned reusable spacecraft with news that the "Air Force Spacecraft Returns From 7-Month Mission" (Dec. 3, 2010, 8:50 am)
(URL: http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1960432/air_force_spacecraft_returns_from_7month_mission/)
"The unmanned X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle has successfully landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking the end of the miniature space shuttle's secret seven month mission for the US Air Force, various media outlets reported on Friday... The spacecraft is similar in design to NASA's venerable space shuttle, though the 29-foot craft is just one-fourth of the shuttle's size. It also has a smaller wingspan (15-feet versus 78-feet) and can stay in orbit for several months at a time, while the space shuttle can only remain in space for approximately two weeks."
Sign in to Reply
george.leopold
5/17/2012 7:36 PM EDT
Homer Hickam says we should scale up the X-37 as out next manned spacecraft.
Sign in to Reply
LarryM99
12/11/2010 12:30 PM EST
The kicker is going to be what DoD will do when commercial spaceplanes get too close to their satellite assets. It is also likely that the space-junk-in-orbit problem is going to get a lot worse. Don't get me wrong, I think this is the path that we need to take to advance as a species, but I think the reality is going to be a lot messier than Star Trek.
Larry M.
Sign in to Reply
elctrnx_lyf
12/13/2010 12:32 PM EST
SpaceX is private company and they are planning to successfully use the business opportunity in the space tourism. We will see many such experiments in the future and some day there will be a space tourism program for the people who can afford. Is this what spaceX planning to do?
Sign in to Reply