At 9:04 am (Eastern) the Dragon capsule completed a hard docking with ISS.
At 9:04 am (Eastern) the Dragon capsule successfully completed a hard docking with ISS.
Tag: ISS
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.
NASA and the Russians have agreed to fly a two-person year long mission on ISS beginning in the spring of 2015.
It’s now official: NASA and the Russians have agreed to fly a two-person year long mission on ISS beginning in the spring of 2015.
NASA has denied that this agreement has any connection with the Sarah Brightman/Russian deal, but I still wonder. Either way, it is very good news. Not only will they finally be using ISS appropriately, a mission like this will generate some real excitement for space exploration that the repeated boring six month expeditions to ISS have failed to do. Even better would be to schedule a two year mission, simulating a journey to and from Mars.
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 head of Russia’s manned program said today that the first yearlong mission on ISS will begin in March 2015.
The head of Russia’s manned program said today that the first yearlong mission on ISS will begin in March 2015.
This appears to be another case of the Russians trying to use the media to pressure NASA into agreeing to the mission. I hope it works.
Europe’s ATV cargo freighter finally undocked successfully from ISS on Friday.
Europe’s ATV cargo freighter finally undocked successfully from ISS on Friday.
The undocking of Europe’s ATV cargo freighter from ISS has been delayed again.
The undocking of Europe’s ATV cargo freighter from ISS has been delayed again.
No explanation, which is worrisome. Then again, this might be nothing.
The failed undocking of Europe’s ATV cargo craft from ISS earlier this week occurred because the astronauts used the wrong computer code.
The failed undocking of Europe’s ATV cargo craft from ISS earlier this week occurred because the astronauts used the wrong computer code.
They have rescheduled the undocking now for Friday.
Singer Sarah Brightman appears slated to be the next tourist to fly to ISS.
The competition heats up: Singer Sarah Brightman appears slated to be the next tourist to fly to ISS.
A computer glitch prevented the undocking of the European ATV-3 cargo vehicle from ISS today.
A computer glitch prevented the undocking of the European ATV-3 cargo vehicle from ISS today.
Undocking of the European Space Agency’s third Automated Transfer Vehicle, or ATV, from the aft port of the Zvezda module had been scheduled for 6:35 p.m. EDT (GMT-4). Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko attempted to send a command to begin the undocking sequence on time, but the command apparently never reached the docking mechanism.
I am not sure what will happen if they cannot pin down the problem. For example, it is unclear whether the cargo vehicle can be reprogrammed to be manually controlled. Also, it presently blocks a docking port. Is that port needed for the next ATV freighter as well as for other craft, such as Progress freighters? If so, this could become a serious problem.
Boeing and the fear of competition
Boeing has indicated that it might shelve its CST-100 manned capsule, despite their recent almost half a billion dollar contract award from NASA.
This possibility illustrates why Boeing is losing market share, not only in space, but in the aviation industry. The article suggests that the NASA contract might not be enough to pay for CST-100, and that Boeing is unsure there is enough private market to make up the difference.
“That’s just for the ISS. That’s kind of the basement,” adds Elbon. More flights than those to the ISS are required he says, and Boeing is cautious about over-committing itself while future revenue streams are unclear.
I say bull hockey.
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October 7 is now set as the launch date for the first operational cargo flight of Dragon to ISS.
The competition heats up: October 7 has now been set as the launch date for the first operational cargo flight of Dragon to ISS.
Astronaut Sunita Williams completed first simulated triathlon in space this past weekend on ISS.
Astronaut Sunita Williams completed the first simulated triathlon in space this past weekend on ISS.
After “swimming” half a mile (0.8 km), biking 18 miles (29 km), and running 4 miles (6.4 km), Williams finished with a time of one hour, 48 minutes and 33 seconds, she reported. The space station has its own treadmill and stationary bike, which use harnesses and straps in place of gravity to keep astronauts from floating away. To simulate the swimming portion of the race, Williams used what’s called the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) to do weightlifting and resistance exercises that approximate swimming in microgravity.
Three astronauts have safely returned to Earth from ISS.
Three astronauts have safely returned to Earth from ISS.
More important, the Russians have now delayed the next Soyuz manned launch to ISS for a week due to “some malfunctions [that] have appeared in one of the devices of the decent module.”
They also say the delay is to avoid a flight conflict with the next Dragon mission on October 15. This is interesting in that the last word we had from NASA was that the Dragon launch could occur as early as October 5.
The view of New York City from ISS on September 11, 2001.
The view of New York City from ISS on September 11, 2001.
SpaceX’s first official cargo flight to ISS could occur as early as October 5.
SpaceX’s first official cargo flight to ISS could occur as early as October 5.
In a spacewalk today astronaut successfully overcame a stuck bolt to install a replacement power unit.
In a spacewalk today astronauts successfully overcame a stuck bolt to install a replacement power unit.
Because of the failure to replace a power unit during last week’s spacewalk, the U.S. portion of ISS is now in a brown-out, with a 25% reduction in power.
Because of the failure to replace a power unit during last week’s spacewalk, the U.S. portion of ISS is now in a brown-out, with a 25% reduction in power.
They plan a second spacewalk tomorrow to try to fix the problem.
On Friday SpaceX successfully completed a launch pad dress rehearsal for the next Falcon 9 launch to ISS.
The competition heats up: On Friday SpaceX successfully completed a launch pad dress rehearsal for the next Falcon 9 launch to ISS.