SpaceX is pressing ahead with plans to launch its first NASA demonstration mission next Tuesday. A NASA press release this afternoon announced an "L-1" news conference at 1:30 p.m. Monday, the day before the planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
NASA TV coverage will begin five minutes before liftoff.
However, SpaceX continues to qualify its launch plans by saying Dec. 7 is only a targeted "no earlier than" date. Launch opportunities are available through Dec. 9 with the same window each day: 9:03 a.m. to 12:22 p.m.
The company is preparing for a Friday static fire of the rocket's nine first stage engines - broadcast online -- as was planned to precede a Tuesday launch.
The unmanned mission is the first under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, which has invested $500 million in the development of commercial vehicles to deliver cargo to the International Space Station after the shuttle is retired.
After successfully meeting specified milestones, SpaceX has a $1.6 billion contract to fly 12 station cargo delivery missions. Orbital Sciences Corp. has a $1.9 billion contract to fly eight shipments.
IMAGE:: A Falcon 9 rocket in its Launch Complex 40 hangar: Credit: SpaceX.
6 comments:
Go SpaceX!!! Your success is good for all of us in the long run.
$1.6 B for 12 ISS missions is an incredible buy, when NASA spent over $10B on Constellation without a single flight into orbit. So why are so many people attacking Obama for trying to end a massive government program that's wasting tax dollars and turn over some of the work to efficient private industry?
While I agree that there will be savings realized through commercial space flight (if it actually happens), Space X's COTS contract is not directly comparable to Constellation. Constellation was a program with goals of sending humans beyond low earth orbit. COTS is a resupply to ISS. Big difference.
Yeah keep saying go space x. They are such a fly by night company using borrowed, used, and hodge podged equipment. To date they still have no successful launches irregardless of what they say to the press.
Go Space X
Go Space X
Go Space X
Go Space X
Go Space X
Go Space X
11:51 Is irregardless a word ?
Go Space X
Go Space X
Go Space X
Please explain what possible practical value will Constellation provide for America. It costs more to launch than the Shuttle and carries much less. Billions of taxpayer dollars for golf on the moon, or an asteroid, when the taxpayers demand tax cuts? There isn't any possibility of a penny in commercial sales for Orion.
SpaceX is the first company in a decade to bring firm orders for multiple non-government commercial launches to Florida. NASA needs to be helping SpaceX expand our commercial business.
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