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
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Friday, May 15
NASA, SpaceX to try to launch rocket for third time from Cape Canaveral
Florida Today — 5:48 am ET (0948 GMT) Starship Version 3 Prepped For May 19 Debut
Aviation Week — 5:47 am ET (0947 GMT) China’s Electronics Industry Could Upend America’s Lead In Space
Aviation Week — 5:47 am ET (0947 GMT) NASA's Mars Perseverance rover sends new self-portrait from the red planet
ABCNews.com — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT) NASA’s Psyche spacecraft buzzing Mars on its way to a rare metal asteroid
AP — 5:45 am ET (0945 GMT) |
