SpaceX: PDR for 2nd COTS mission completed

[docm]

http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=36<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b><br /><br /><b>SpaceX Successfully Completes NASA Preliminary Design Review for Dragon Spacecraft Mission to Approach International Space Station<br /><br />HAWTHORNE, CA – February 12, 2008 – <font color="yellow">Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the second Falcon 9 / Dragon demonstration under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) project. NASA representatives attended the event, held at SpaceX’s new headquarters in Hawthorne, California.</font></b><br /><br />Under COTS, SpaceX will conduct three Falcon 9 / Dragon flights, demonstrating the ability to approach, berth, and ultimately deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), and return cargo to Earth. The first COTS flight will demonstrate launch, operations over several orbits, reentry and return to Earth.<br /><br />During this second and much longer demonstration, the uncrewed Dragon spacecraft will approach within 10 kilometers of the ISS and hold its position. The primary objective of the four day long mission is to demonstrate Dragon’s communication and control system links to the ISS. According to the SpaceX plan, astronauts and ground controllers will conduct an extensive test of the two-way Dragon-ISS UHF band communications system, which will be essential to the third COTS demonstration mission. This system, being developed and qualified by SpaceX, includes transceiver equipment planned for installation on each Dragon Spacecraft and aboard the ISS. It will permit the ISS crew to monitor and operate the Dragon craft directly.<br /><br />“Planning this mission required SpaceX to collaborate closely with ISS personnel and it went very well,” said Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX. “This is a working relationship that w</p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[qso1]

I wish Spacex the best and hope they nail this one. It would be a victory for private interprise in space. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[hansolo0]

anyone know when they will make the their attempts?

 

[qso1]

http://spacex.com/launch_manifest.php<br /><br />The manifest shows demo 1 in Q4 08 followed by demo 2 in Q2 09. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Thats somethin you don't see every day...simultaneous posts. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[hansolo0]

So if I read the schedule right, they will launch an unmanned dragon test near the end of this year? If that's true that is very exciting indeed!

 

[docm]

IIRC it's scheduled for Q4. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>