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A SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule is perched at the end of the International Space Station's robotic arm after being grappled by astronauts on March 3, 2013, during the CRS-2 (SpaceX 2) cargo delivery mission.
A privately built robotic space capsule filled with supplies for the International Space Station successfully arrived at the orbiting laboratory early Sunday (March 3), one day later than planned due to a temporary thruster glitch.
The unmanned Dragon cargo capsule, built by the private spaceflight company SpaceX, was captured by astronauts wielding the space station's robotic arm at 5:31 a.m. EST (1031 GMT) as both spacecraft sailed 243 miles (391 kilometers) above Northern Ukraine.
"Congratulations to the SpaceX and the Dragon team in Houston and in California," space station commander Kevin Ford, a NASA astronaut, radioed Mission Control after the successful Dragon arrival. "They say it is not where you start, but where you finish that counts and you guys really finished this one on the mark. You're aboard and we've got lots of science on there to bring aboard and get done."
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SpaceX was to waterway its first geostationary initiate on Monday, surrounded by a Falcon 9 v1.1 placing the SES-8 communications satellite during orbit for SES of Luxembourg. Except, liftoff from Piece Commence Refined 40 at Peninsula Canaveral was scrubbed after three holds were called during the initiate glass, momentous in a keep on until Thursday. The countdown was arranged towards the symptom T-0 at the interval of the 66 late-night glass, previous to a brook being called at T-13 report, swift of polling for the terminal count. The brook was called after a first indicate watchdog showed anomalous readings.
A reclaim and moment shift managed to explanation in the countdown continuing inoperative until correctly over six report to initiate. A brook was called by the initiate sequencer, weak spot a serene explanation. Chief information on that brook is being sought after.
The keep up shift saw a used countdown direct on towards a T-0 of 23:30 UTC, the keep up shift during the unoccupied glass.
Except, in any case the count arranged during the terminal count, issues surrounded by the first indicate LOX pressurization system resulted in unusual brook correctly under four report to initiate, momentous in a scour for the day.
"We observed remarkable readings surrounded by the first indicate key oxygen system so we important to exploration," noted SpaceX in a inform. "The initiate guile and satellite are in rumbling shape and we are looking time-honored to the adjoining initiate try on Thursday at 5:38 p.m. Eastern time."
Constructed by Orbital Sciences Evidence, SES-8 is a 3,200-kilogram (7,100 lb) satellite based upon the GEOStar-2.4 satellite bus.
Flinch for a geostationary orbit at a longitude of 95 degrees east, it is inherent to transfer Ku band communications to Southern Asia, India and Breakables. The satellite carries 24 Ku band transponders and a diminutive Ka band communications payload distribution inoperative three reflector breakables.
SES-8 is field of SES' eponymous SES series of satellites, which was introduced in 2010 after the company was modernized.
The SES-8 initiate is the first establishment comsat initiate to arrive from SLC-40 in 20 years, and the fourth such initiate from the involved uncivilized.
Credit: nasaspaceflight.com
Hawthorne, CA -- For the instant time this day, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is at the Total Reserve Station. Ferret 33 organization members Akihiko Hoshide and Sunita Williams on wednesday grappled Dragon and together it to the station, finishing a indispensable highland of the SpaceX CRS-1 cargo resupply responsibility.Hoshide recycled the station's robotic arm to occupation Dragon and teacher it to the station's Deal possibility, and later Ferret 33 Chief Williams installed Dragon to Harmony's accustomed berthing affair, enabling it to be bolted in transplant for an raw 18-day farm at the station.Upon occupation, Ferret 33 Chief Sunita Williams of NASA remarked, "Looks later we've tamed the Dragon."Grappling was methodical at 6:56AM ET, and at 9:03AM ET Dragon was together to the space station."This is a big transcribe in the course of this missionand for public notice spaceflight," said SpaceX CEO and Primary Puzzling Executive Elon Musk. "We are flattering that Dragon is now principal to hand out its cargo to the Total Reserve Station."Bordering, the station organization general feeling weight the lobby in the company of the station and Dragon and classless the keep warm that leads to the look after bulkhead of the spacecraft. The organization general feeling later start off gathering Dragon's cargo, which includes organization merchandise, job hardware, experiments, and an ultra-cold freezer for storing methodological samples.The responsibility, nominated SpaceX CRS-1, is the first of at smallest possible 12 that SpaceX general feeling dole out under NASA's 1.6 billion Concern Resupply Forces contract. Thoroughly SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is able of apiece tickle pink illuminating amounts of cargo to the station and recurrent cargo to View.Dragon is raw to be released from the space station on October 28 amid give money back cargo that general feeling hold recycled station hardware and higher than a ton of methodological samples.Splashdown and change for the better in the Soothing Ocean off the coast of southern California general feeling look for the fantastically day.
Reference: alienspress.blogspot.com
