Hi My Friends: A VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., The SpaceX second demonstration mission for NASA's Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services (COTS) program is under way, and NASA is
updating its coverage of the Dragon spacecraft's flight to the
International Space Station.
Dragon Fire
The
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soared into space from Space Launch Complex-40
on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying the Dragon
capsule to orbit at 3:44 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. The launch
is the company's second demonstration test flight for NASA's Commercial
Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS, Program. During the flight,
there will be a series of check-out procedures to test and prove
Dragon's systems, including rendezvous and berthing with the
International Space Station. If the capsule performs as planned, the
cargo and experiments it is carrying will be transferred to the station.
Image Credit: NASA/Alan Ault
SpaceX Dragon Transports Student Experiments to Space Station:
WASHINGTON -- The SpaceX Dragon capsule, which on Tuesday became the
first commercially developed and built spacecraft to launch to the
International Space Station, is carrying among its cargo a suite of 15
science experiments designed by students.
Known collectively
as Aquarius, the experiments will assess the effects of microgravity on
physical, chemical and biological systems. The students have been
immersed in every facet of research, from definition of the
investigation to experiment design, proposal writing and a formal NASA
proposal review for selection of flight experiments.
"This
unique student activity adds a new dimension to the International Space
Station and its role as America's only orbiting national laboratory,"
said Leland Melvin, NASA's associate administrator for Education. "It
also clearly demonstrates that students still can actively participate
in NASA microgravity opportunities in the post-shuttle era."
Aquarius is sponsored by the Student Space Flight Experiments Program
(SSEP), which is a cooperative venture by the National Center for Earth
and Space Science Education (NCESSE) and NanoRacks LLC, a national
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education
initiative. The organizations work together to give 300 to 1,000
students across a community the opportunity to design and propose
microgravity experiments to fly in low Earth orbit.
The first
two SSEP payloads flew in 2011 aboard space shuttles Endeavour and
Atlantis on the STS-134 and STS-135 missions respectively. This third
round of experiments will be the first to be conducted in orbit by space
station astronauts.
The announcement of opportunity for
Aquarius was released in July 2011. It elicited responses from 12
communities in nine states and the District of Columbia. A total of 779
student teams, with 41,200 members ranging from fifth graders to
community college, submitted proposals. After a formal two-step review
process in fall 2011, the final 15 flight experiments were selected.
They all passed a formal NASA flight safety review, clearing the final
hurdle on their journey to launch.
This is one of many
programs that use NASA's science and exploration missions to encourage
students to pursue a STEM-centric school curriculum. Building a robust
cadre of scientists and engineers for the future is a high priority for
NASA's Office of Education.
The Dragon flight to the
International Space Station is the second demonstration mission for
SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS)
program. The demonstration flight is intended to lead to regular
resupply missions to the space station.
To learn more about the SSEP, including future opportunities for student participation, visit:
To learn more about NASA's education program, visit:
To learn more about the International Space Station, visit:
SpaceX Launches NASA Demonstration Mission to Space Station:
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The second demonstration mission for NASA's
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program is under way
as SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifted off Tuesday
from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 3:44 a.m. EDT.
"I want to congratulate SpaceX for its successful launch and salute
the NASA team that worked alongside them to make it happen," NASA
Administrator Charles Bolden said. "Today marks the beginning of a new
era in exploration; a private company has launched a spacecraft to the
International Space Station that will attempt to dock there for the
first time. And while there is a lot of work ahead to successfully
complete this mission, we are certainly off to good start. Under
President Obama’s leadership, the nation is embarking upon an ambitious
exploration program that will take us farther into space than we have
ever traveled before, while helping create good-paying jobs right here
in the United States of America."
The Dragon capsule will
conduct a series of checkout procedures to test and prove its systems,
including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the International
Space Station. On Thursday, May 24, Dragon will perform a flyby of the
space station at a distance of approximately 1.5 miles to validate the
operation of sensors and flight systems necessary for a safe rendezvous
and approach. Live NASA TV coverage beginning at 2:30 a.m.
Following analysis of the flyby by NASA and SpaceX managers, the Dragon
capsule will be cleared to rendezvous and berth with the space station
on Friday, May 25, marking the first time a commercial company has
attempted this feat. The Expedition 31 crew on board the station will
use the orbiting complex's robotic arm to capture Dragon and install it
on the bottom side of the Harmony node. NASA TV will provide live
coverage beginning at 2 a.m.
"This flight is an important
milestone as NASA and SpaceX develop the next generation of U.S.
spacecraft to carry the critically important experiments, payloads and
supplies to our remarkable laboratory in space," said William
Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA's Human Exploration
Operations Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington.
SpaceX and Orbital Sciences, which will perform its own test flight
later this year, have been working under NASA's COTS program, which
provides investments to stimulate the commercial space industry in
America. Once the companies have successfully completed their test
flights, they will begin delivering regular cargo shipments to the
station.
"NASA is working with private industry in an
unprecedented way, cultivating innovation on the path toward maintaining
America's leadership in space exploration," said Philip McAlister,
director for NASA's Commercial Spaceflight Development.
In
parallel to COTS, NASA's Commercial Crew Program is helping spur
innovation and development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles from
the commercial industry to develop safe, reliable and cost-effective
capabilities to transport astronauts to low Earth orbit and the space
station.
NASA also is developing the Orion spacecraft and
Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket that
will provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low
Earth orbit. Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew
and cargo missions, SLS and Orion will expand human presence beyond low
Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar
system.
For up-to-date SpaceX mission information and a schedule of NASA TV coverage, visit:
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:
For more information about NASA's commercial space programs, visit:
For an interactive overview of NASA's commercial space programs, visit:
For an interactive overview of the future of American human spaceflight, visit:
Station Crew To Take Questions About Commercial Spacecraft:
HOUSTON -- International Space Station crew members will answer
questions from reporters following the scheduled hatch opening of
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. Three of the six Expedition 31 station
residents will be available during a news conference that will be
carried live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website at
10:25 a.m. CDT on Saturday, May 26. The news conference is subject to
change depending on real-time operational events aboard the space
station.
Expedition 31 flight engineers Don Pettit and Joseph
Acaba of NASA and Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency will speak
with reporters. The crew members will discuss the demonstration flight
of the Dragon spacecraft and the implications of commercial spaceflight
for the space station. Dragon is set to be the first commercial cargo
spacecraft to berth to the station. Because this is a test flight, the
Dragon is carrying non-critical cargo, including additional food and
clothing for the station residents. Dragon also is carrying a collection
of student experiments.
Media can ask questions from NASA's
Johnson Space Center, Houston or via telephone. To participate in the
news conference in-person, U.S. journalists must call the Johnson
newsroom by 1 p.m. on Friday, May 25, at 281-483-5111. To participate in
the briefing by phone, representatives from accredited media
organizations must call the Johnson newsroom 15 minutes before the start
of the conference. Priority will be given to journalists participating
in-person. Questions by phone will be taken as time permits.
The exact time of the news conference is subject to change. For NASA TV
streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit:
For more information about the SpaceX mission, visit:
To follow Twitter updates from Pettit, Acaba and Kuipers, visit:
For more information about the International Space Station and its crew, visit:
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered into space and delivered a Dragon
cargo capsule into orbit on May 22, 2012. The launch began an ambitious
mission to show that the company is ready to deliver cargo to the
International Space Station.
"We're now back on the brink of a new future, a future that embraces the
innovation the private sector brings to the table," said NASA
Administrator Charles Bolden. "The significance of this day cannot be
overstated. While there is a lot of work ahead to successfully complete
this mission, we are off to a good start."
Working with an instantaneous launch window, SpaceX, short for Space
Exploration Technologies of Hawthorne, Calif., proceeded through a
flawless countdown. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida came at 3:44 a.m. EDT, just as
the station was crossing 249 miles above the North Atlantic.
"Every bit of adrenaline in my body released at that moment," said Elon
Musk about the moment the rocket lifted off the pad. Musk is the
founder, CEO and chief designer of SpaceX. "People were really giving it
their all. For us, it was like winning the Super Bowl."
The launch came three days after the rocket aborted a previous launch
attempt. William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for Human
Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, lauded the company for
getting the craft ready for the successful launch.
"They stayed focused and kept moving forward," Gerstenmaier said. "Things are moving in the right direction."
Dragon is carrying about 1,200 pounds of supplies for the crew of the
station and experiments designed by students. The spacecraft can hold
7,300 pounds of material for delivery to the station, but since this is a
test flight, the manifest was limited to important but not critical
materials. Food and clothing make up the bulk of the supplies.
The launch put the Dragon on a course to rendezvous with the space
station in three days. A detailed series of navigation and other systems
tests will be performed in space before the capsule is allowed to move
close enough to the station for astronauts to grab it with the robot arm
and connect it to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module.
The tests include a careful approach to the station that calls for the
spacecraft to pause several times. The space station crew also will show
that they can communicate directly with the uncrewed Dragon capsule. If
all the testing goes well, they will go ahead with the rendezvous and
berthing.
"There's still a thousand things that have to go right, but we are
looking forward to this exciting mission," said Alan Lindemoyer, manager
of NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program.
The Dragon will remain connected to the station for about three weeks,
allowing astronauts to empty it before loading used scientific equipment
inside for the return to Earth. Reversing the process of connecting the
spacecraft to the station, astronauts will use the robotic arm to
remove the Dragon capsule. The Dragon will then de-orbit and return to
Earth under parachutes, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the
California coast.
Steven Siceloff
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center
Updated Coverage for NASA/SpaceX Mission to Station :
WASHINGTON -- The SpaceX second demonstration mission for NASA's
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program is under way,
and NASA is updating its coverage of the Dragon spacecraft's flight to
the International Space Station.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and
Dragon lifted off at 3:44 a.m. EDT Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station in Florida. During the flight, the Dragon capsule will
conduct a series of checkout procedures to test and prove its systems,
including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the space station.
One of the primary objectives for the flight is a flyby of
the space station at a distance of approximately 1.5 miles to validate
the operation of sensors and flight systems necessary for a safe
rendezvous and approach.
The spacecraft also will demonstrate
the ability to abort the rendezvous. Once Dragon successfully proves
these capabilities, it will be cleared to berth with the space station.
NASA TV MISSION COVERAGE
Thursday, May 24 (Flight Day 3): Live NASA Television coverage from
NASA's Johnson Space Center mission control in Houston as the Dragon
spacecraft performs its flyby of the International Space Station to test
its systems begins at 2:30 a.m. EDT and will continue until the Dragon
passes the vicinity of the station. A news briefing will be held at 10
a.m. following the activities.
Friday, May 25 (Flight Day 4):
Live coverage of the rendezvous and berthing of the Dragon spacecraft
to the station begins at 2 a.m. and will continue through the capture
and berthing of the Dragon to the station's Harmony node. A news
briefing will be held at 1 p.m. after Dragon is secured to the station.
Saturday, May 26 (Flight Day 5): Live coverage of the hatch opening and
entry of the Dragon spacecraft begins at 5:30 a.m. and will include a
crew news conference at 11:25 a.m.
NASA TV also will provide live coverage of the departure and reentry of the Dragon spacecraft once a date is determined.
JOHNSON MEDIA ACCREDITATION
Media who currently are credentialed with badges from NASA's Kennedy
Space Center in Florida for launch activities will have their badges
honored at Johnson for the duration of the SpaceX mission. Please
contact the Johnson newsroom for work space information. The deadline
has passed for U.S. and international media wanting access only to
Johnson. For mission information, contact the Johnson newsroom at
281-483-5111 or visit:
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:
For up-to-date SpaceX mission information and a schedule of NASA TV coverage, visit:
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
ayabaca@gmail.com
ayabaca@hotmail.com
ayabaca@yahoo.com
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The
International Space Station's Canadarm2 installs the SpaceX Dragon
cargo craft to the Earth-facing side of the Harmony node. Credit: NASA
TV
