OrbitalHub

SpaceX dixit:

“When Falcon Heavy lifts off later this year, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. Thrust at liftoff is equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft operating simultaneously.”

Credit: SpaceX

 

NASA dixit:

“SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and its unpiloted Dragon cargo craft launched in pre-dawn darkness from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida Jan. 10, bound on a two-day journey to deliver more than two tons of supplies and science experiments to the Expedition 42 crew aboard the International Space Station. About 10 minutes after launch, Dragon separated from the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket and deployed its solar arrays to begin the rendezvous to reach the station on Jan. 12, where it will be grappled by station Commander Barry Wilmore of NASA and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency using the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm from the orbiting laboratory’s cupola. […]

Two days after its launch from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, the unpiloted U.S. SpaceX Dragon cargo craft arrived at the International Space Station Jan. 12 with more than two tons of supplies and science experiments for the Expedition 42 crew. The station crew grappled the Dragon supply ship with the station’s robotic arm and ground controllers at Mission Control, Houston maneuvered Dragon to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Harmony module, where it was installed and bolted into place for a month-long stay.”

Credit: NASA / SpaceX

SpaceX dixit:

“Spanning nearly 1 million square feet, the SpaceX factory currently produces more rocket engines than any other U.S. manufacturer, and will eventually produce 40 rocket cores annually.”

Credit: SpaceX

NASA dixit:

“Filled with more than 3,700 pounds of hardware and critical science experiments, the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft left the International Space Station, headed for a deorbit and a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California. Dragon arrived at the station on Sept. 23 on the fourth resupply mission to the outpost for the U.S. commercial firm. Dragon is the only cargo vehicle servicing the space station that can return cargo and scientific experiments back to Earth intact for researchers to retrieve for post-flight analysis.”

Credit: NASA

SpaceX dixit:

“After four successful missions to the International Space Station, including three official resupply missions for NASA, SpaceX is set to launch its fourth official Commercial Resupply (CRS) mission to the orbiting lab. The SpaceX CRS-4 mission is targeting launch at 06:14 UTC Saturday, September 20 from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. If all goes as planned, Dragon will arrive at the station on Monday, September 22 for an expected four-week visit. Dragon is scheduled to return to Earth in mid-October for a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of southern California. Dragon is the only operational spacecraft capable of returning a significant amount of supplies back to Earth, including experiments.”

Credit: SpaceX / NASA

SpaceX dixit:

“Video of Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) during a 1000m test flight at our rocket development facility in McGregor, TX. This flight was our first test of a set of steerable fins that provide control of the rocket during the fly back portion of return. The fins deploy approximately a minute and 15 seconds into the flight, and return to their original position just prior to landing. The F9R testing program is the next step towards reusability following completion of the Grasshopper program last year. Early flights of F9R will take off with legs fixed in the down position, however we will soon transition to liftoff with legs stowed against the side of the rocket with leg extension just before landing. Future test flights of F9R at our New Mexico facility will include higher altitudes, allow us to prove unpowered guidance and to prove out landing cases that are more flight-like.”

Credit: SpaceX