OrbitalHub

NASA dicit:

“Countdown and liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon onboard on Demo-1, the first uncrewed flight test of the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Launch was at 2:49 a.m. EST on March 2, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Demo-1 is the first time a commercially built and operated American spacecraft designed for humans will dock to the International Space Station.”

Video Credit: NASA/SpaceX

SpaceX CRS-15 lifted off on 29 June 2018 at 5:42 a.m. EDT. The Falcon 9 rocket cleared the tower at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, sending a Dragon spacecraft on the company’s 15th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station.

NASA has contracted for the CRS-15 mission from SpaceX and therefore determines the primary payload, date/time of launch, and orbital parameters for the Dragon space capsule. CRS-15 hauled 1,712 kg (3,774 lb) of pressurized mass and 985 kg (2,172 lb) of unpressurized cargo. The external payloads manifested for this flight are ECOSTRESS and a Latching End Effector for Canadarm2.

The breakdown of cargo bound for the ISS: science investigations – 1,233 kg (2,718 lb), crew supplies – 205 kg (452 lb), vehicle hardware – 178 kg (392 lb), spacewalk equipment – 63 kg (139 lb), computer resources – 21 kg (46 lb), russian hardware – 12 kg (26 lb), external payloads – 985 kg (2,172 lb).

Credits Video: NASA

NASA dixit:

“The SpaceX CRS-13 mission begins with an on-time liftoff of the company’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Launch occurred on December 15 at 10:36 a.m. EST. The Dragon is carrying equipment, science and supplies to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 13th commercial cargo resupply mission.”

Video credit: NASA Kennedy Space Center

Epic blooper reel from SpaceX… building and flying rockets requires a good sense of humor.

~ dj

Video credit: SpaceX

NASA dixit:

“A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Aug. 14, sending an unpiloted Dragon cargo spacecraft on a delivery run to the International Space Station. Loaded with more than three tons of supplies and scientific investigations, the Dragon is scheduled to arrive at the station Aug. 16 where it will be captured by Expedition 52 crewmembers Jack Fischer of NASA and Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) operating the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm. Dragon will spend about a month attached to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module.”

Video credit: NASA

Wikipedia dixit:

“SpaceX CRS-11, also known as SpX-11, is a current cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, launched successfully on 3 June 2017. The mission was contracted by NASA and is being flown by SpaceX. The mission utilized a Falcon 9 launch rocket and reuses a Dragon v1 cargo vessel that was previously flown on the CRS-4 mission. CRS-11 is the penultimate of the first twelve missions awarded to SpaceX under the CRS contract to resupply the International Space Station.

This was the first time that a Dragon spacecraft is reused, helping SpaceX to scale back its production line and shift focus to Dragon 2. CRS-11 launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on 3 June 2017 at 21:07 UTC from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. The spacecraft rendezvoused with the station on 5 June and conducted a series of orbit adjustment burns to match speed, altitude, and orientation with the ISS. After arriving at the capture point at 13:37 UTC, the vehicle was snared at 13:52 UTC by Canadarm2, operated by Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer. It was berthed to the Harmony module at 16:07 UTC, where it will reside until 2 July 2017.

The first stage landed successfully on Landing Zone 1, making it the fifth successful touch down on land and the 11th overall.”

Video credit: SpaceX