The Federal Aviation Administration today issued SpaceX the first-ever license for a commercially developed spacecraft to re-enter Earth's atmosphere from orbit. The license was needed for the company to complete its first operational flight of the Dragon spacecraft during a NASA demonstration mission targeted to launch Dec. 7.
After blasting off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station atop a Falcon 9 rocket, the Dragon is expected to orbit the planet twice before re-entering and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California.
"The flight of Dragon will be an important step toward commercial cargo delivery to the International Space Station," NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said in a statement. "NASA wishes SpaceX every success with the launch."
"Milestones are an important part of space exploration and SpaceX achieved a very important one today," added Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. "I congratulate SpaceX on this landmark achievement and wish them the best with their launch of the Dragon capsule."
The timing of the first demonstration flight under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program remains uncertain.
SpaceX has said it is working through technical issues related to the Dragon's first flight. NASA's possible launch of shuttle Discovery between Dec. 3 and Dec. 6 could also impact mission preparations including a static fire of nine Merlin engines at Launch Complex 40 and the availability of a booster recovery ship that will be used to retrieve the Falcon 9 first stage.
IMAGE: Fully deployed, the three main Airborne Systems parachutes gently bring the Dragon spacecraft down for a water splashdown during a drop test on Aug. 12, 2010. Credit: Roger Gilbertson / SpaceX.
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