NASA tentatively confirms April 30 SpaceX launch
Posted: Tue, Apr 17, 2012, 6:56 AM ET (1056 GMT)
NASA and SpaceX officials met Monday and gave approval for an April 30 launch of a SpaceX's Dragon mission to the ISS, pending some final tests. After Monday's Flight Readiness Review, NASA officials said the planned April 30 launch of the Dragon mission on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral "looks good", but that some additional simulations and software reviews still needed to be completed prior to the launch. The launch is currently scheduled for 12:22 pm EDT (1622 GMT) April 30, with a backup day May 3; after that, SpaceX would wait for an Atlas launch from the Cape and a Soyuz flight to the station before trying again in mid-May. The mission, designated "C2+", is designed to combined the second and third demonstration missions of SpaceX's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) award from NASA. The Dragon spacecraft will closely approach and maneuver around the station; if those objectives are achieved, it will berth with the station. Both NASA and SpaceX emphasized that this was a test flight, although the Dragon will be carrying over 500 kilograms of non-essential cargo to the station on this mission.
NASA and SpaceX officials met Monday and gave approval for an April 30 launch of a SpaceX's Dragon mission to the ISS, pending some final tests. After Monday's Flight Readiness Review, NASA officials said the planned April 30 launch of the Dragon mission on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral "looks good", but that some additional simulations and software reviews still needed to be completed prior to the launch. The launch is currently scheduled for 12:22 pm EDT (1622 GMT) April 30, with a backup day May 3; after that, SpaceX would wait for an Atlas launch from the Cape and a Soyuz flight to the station before trying again in mid-May. The mission, designated "C2+", is designed to combined the second and third demonstration missions of SpaceX's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) award from NASA. The Dragon spacecraft will closely approach and maneuver around the station; if those objectives are achieved, it will berth with the station. Both NASA and SpaceX emphasized that this was a test flight, although the Dragon will be carrying over 500 kilograms of non-essential cargo to the station on this mission.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Space Force picks 14 companies for GEO surveillance program
Posted: Sat, Apr 11 10:34 AM ET (1434 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, April 23
Firefly Aerospace moves into 3 new buildings in Cedar Park
KVUE-TV Austin, TX — 4:24 am ET (0824 GMT) ESA Formalizes European Defense Agency Links
Aviation Week — 4:23 am ET (0823 GMT) Plato aces space-like tests
ESA — 4:23 am ET (0823 GMT) In ‘major win’ for Alabama, $565 million set aside for Space Command design, construction
Huntsville Times — 4:22 am ET (0822 GMT) Trump taps defense firm execs to lead space acquisition, NRO
Breaking Defense — 4:19 am ET (0819 GMT) |
