The astronauts on ISS have opened the hatch to Dragon one day early.
The astronauts on ISS have opened the hatch to Dragon one day early.
Tag: commercial
A competitor has debuted its full-size prototype rover designed to hunt for water in the craters of the Moon.
The Google Lunar X-Prize: One competitor has unveiled its full-size prototype rover, designed to hunt for water in the craters of the Moon.
The company, Astrobotic Technology, is consider to be in second place in the race to build the first private lunar rover.
The world’s second largest infrared telescope on Mauna Kea is for sale.
Want to buy a telescope? The world’s second largest infrared telescope on Mauna Kea is for sale.
The price is relatively cheap, $1.24 million. All that is needed is a private corporation eager to get some good publicity while contributing to the science of astronomy.
An update on the Falcon 9 engine problems.
An update on the Falcon 9 engine problems.
Based on SpaceX’s press release, the rocket functioned as designed to overcome the engine failure. Nonetheless, it behooves them to find out why that engine shut down prematurely.
More worrisome for the company is the failure the Falcon 9 rocket to place in its proper orbit a secondary payload, an Orbcomm communications satellite. The satellite ended up in too low an orbit, probably because of the engine failure during launch. Orbcomm has a contract with SpaceX to launch a whole series of these satellites. This failure now, right at the get-go, won’t do them much good in terms of public relations.
One engine of the Falcon 9 failed during launch.
Confirmed: One engine of the Falcon 9 exploded during launch.
Video at the link. The other 8 engines picked up the slack — as designed — and got Dragon into orbit.
This spectacular engine failure will of course have to be reviewed. However, if I were a commercial satellite company looking for a rocket to get my satellites into orbit, this failure would be recommendation, not a deterrent. The Falcon 9 demonstrated that even if one engine fails (and this one did by blowing up!), the rocket can survive the failure and make it to orbit. If that isn’t clear proof that this is a well designed and well built rocket, nothing is.
Dragon is in orbit
Another success for SpaceX: Dragon is now in orbit.
How private funding has and will drive exploration.
How private funding has and will drive exploration.
An update on Sierra Nevada’s effort to build its reusable shuttle Dream Chaser.
An update on Sierra Nevada’s effort to build its reusable shuttle Dream Chaser.
And from what I can tell, it is all engines firing, full speed ahead!
Why it costs so much to buy WiFi on an airplane.
Why it costs so much to buy WiFi on an airplane.
The Dragon capsule has been attached to the Falcon 9 rocket in preparation for Sunday’s launch.
The competition heats up: The Dragon capsule has been attached to the Falcon 9 rocket in preparation for Sunday’s launch.
In order to get a seat on a Soyuz capsule Sarah Brightman outbid NASA, bumping its astronaut out and thus forcing the U.S. agency to finally agree to a year long mission.
Irony of ironies: In order to buy her seat on a Soyuz capsule Sarah Brightman outbid NASA, bumping its astronaut out.
This was a win-win for the Russians. They get paid more by Brightman than by NASA (over $51 million), and they finally get that year long mission they’ve been campaigning for for years. Because Brightman has taken one of NASA’s seats, the U.S. agency was forced to agree to the extended mission in order to maintain a presence on the station throughout that time period. Otherwise, their astronaut would come home and be replaced by Brightman, but for only ten days.
The first stage of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket was rolled to the launchpad today.
The competition heats up: The first stage of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket was rolled to the launchpad today for testing.