Written by: William Atkins | Published in: SpaceOn Sunday, October 7, 2012, the SpaceX Dragon space capsule was launched toward the International Space Station aboard its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch phase had one abnormality but the Dragon spacecraft was still able to complete its trip into space and it is now speeding toward its goal, rendezvous and docking with the ISS.
The Falcon 9 rocket is ready for its maiden test flight on June 4, 2010. The privately funded rocket, built by the U.S. space transport company SpaceX, is a key commercial component in the future of U.S. space exploration and development.
PayPal co-founder Elon Musk’s SpaceX sure has come a long way since its rocky beginnings — a string of early launch failures threatened to ground the project permanently.
With Obama and Congress still unsure about how NASA should proceed with its manned space program, NASA continues with privately funded companies as a way to transport cargo and astronauts back and forth into space. As of April 2010, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is preparing for its maiden launch from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 30.
Iridium Communications (Iridium) and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announced on June 16, 2010, that they will be joining forces so that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket can provide launch servives for Iridium’s NEXT satellite constellation.
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, better known as SpaceX, announced that it is building the “World’s Most Powerful Rocket”: the Falcon Heavy. And, it has the capabilities to carry astronauts.
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) fired up its Merlin 1D engine to show the world that it is ready to provide a full mission of firings and restarts that are required for a Falcon 9 rocket launch.
{loadposition william08}The video provided by SpaceX shows a Merlin 1D engine firing (for a part of the entire time) of 185 seconds with a thrust of 147,000 pounds.
NASA announced on December 9, 2011, that SpaceX will launch its Dragon spacecraft on February 7, 2012, for the very first flight of a private spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Written by: William Atkins | Published in: SpaceThe SpaceX Grasshopper is a vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) vehicle. And, it made its first "hop" of about 1.8 meter (6 feet) as a test for what will eventually be a reusable first stage for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
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