SpaceX Dragon Space Capsule Ready For Launch Tomorrow
Over the weekend SpaceX did a full duration static fire and it proved to be a successful test. The company appears to be on track to launch their two-stage Falcon 9 rocket into orbit with a Dragon space capsule atop the rocket that will ferry cargo to the International Space Station. The launch from a seaside pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is set to happen tomorrow around 9 a.m. launch window. U.S. commercial spaceflight looks to be in good health!
For this maiden flight, the Dragon capsule is expected to make as many as four orbits around Earth, showing the ability to transmit telemetry data, receive commands and maneuver, SpaceX officials have said. The Dragon capsule should then re-enter the atmosphere and make a water landing in the Pacific Ocean, after which SpaceX personnel will recover it by ship. The entire operation should take about four or five hours, according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The Dec. 7 flight will be Dragon’s first demonstration under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, or COTS, which aims to advance the capabilities of U.S. commercial spaceflight.
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