The delay of shuttle Discovery's launch to at least Dec. 17 cleared the way for SpaceX to launch its first NASA demonstration flight next week.
But the company still hasn't confirmed if it will attempt the launch of a Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft next Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
A spokeswoman would say only that the launch "could still happen no earlier than Dec. 7."
If SpaceX does commit to an attempt next Tuesday, the 157-foot rocket would be rolled out of its hangar and erected at Launch Complex 40 on Thursday in preparation for a Friday static fire of nine-first stage engines.
A launch Tuesday would happen between 9:03 a.m. and 12:22 p.m.
The unmanned mission plans to orbit an operational Dragon for the first time and recover it hours later from the Pacific Ocean. It's the first flight in a demonstration program intended to prove the capabilities of new commercial vehicles that NASA will rely on to ship cargo to the International Space Station after the shuttle is retired.
NASA plans to host a press conference at Kennedy Space Center the afternoon before the launch.
If weather or technical problems delay an attempt Tuesday, the Air Force's Eastern Range is currently available to support launch opportunities through Dec. 9.
Space news and analysis from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral 
10 comments:
Time to end this flight before an avoidable disaster reigns over NASA'S already questionable reputation as with the Columbia disaster.
I wish this mission every success!!!
We need more viable choices, not less.
The previous poster should maybe spend his time saving manatees or something.
What the heck is the first poster saying????
Go Space X....
Did the first person forget about Challenger?
Hugging trees and saving manatees is MUCH safer than launching rockets - good thing he's not on the launch team...
Every company has to start somewhere. Space X has come a long way in a short period of time. They are bound to be sucessful; most of their top people are former Delta Rocket Scientists. GO FIGURE !!
aw, I thought they said space se x.
I think the first poster was talking about Discovery's delay, not Space X's flight.
You go Space X I pray your mission is successful
Post a Comment