SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space station

Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by RAMA, Apr 17, 2012.

  1. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    Now the fun part of the mission begins.
     
  2. RevDMV

    RevDMV Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    Looking forward to the approach video as it rendezvous with the ISS.
     
  3. RAMA

    RAMA Admiral Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    Wonderful..and a new age begins!
     
  4. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    [​IMG]
    ISS astronauts watching the launch of the Dragon. They are so happy.
     
  5. Hyperspace05

    Hyperspace05 Commodore Commodore

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    If you want to see the first closeups of the Dragon spacecraft taken from ISS (at 2.4 km, extreme telephoto) yesterday: :)

    [​IMG]


    Original source, NASA Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore

    Much better images will be taken tonight/early tomorrow when Dragon will be captured and berthed to ISS.
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2012
  6. Romulan_spy

    Romulan_spy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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  7. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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  8. RevDMV

    RevDMV Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    I couldn't get up early enough to catch it live, but nice catch.

    Watching now, look like they are just starting the berthing procedure.
     
  9. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    The Dragon is now berthed!

    Hurray!
     
  10. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    It's a great week for SpaceX.
     
  11. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    Someone on NASA TV just referred to ".org" as "dot orgy". Do people do that often? :lol: I've never heard it pronounced before.
     
  12. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    Must have been one of them old timers with their slide rules.:lol:
     
  13. sevenstars

    sevenstars Captain Captain

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    It made a gorgeous pass over the Bay Area a couple of nights ago. I can't get the live feeds, but nice to have something new to look up at.
     
  14. Wanderlust

    Wanderlust Captain Captain

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    [​IMG]
     
  15. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    Anyone still missing the shuttles?

    That's fucking amazing.
     
  16. Psion

    Psion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    A bit, but I'm hoping this opens the door to even better things.
     
  17. M'Sharak

    M'Sharak Definitely Herbert. Maybe. Moderator

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    If you spell it out "dot oh-arr-gee" fairly quickly, that's about what it'll sound like.
     
  18. Wanderlust

    Wanderlust Captain Captain

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Hyperspace05

    Hyperspace05 Commodore Commodore

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    Here is a great 15 minute HD clip, spliced together from several hours footage by crew members. (external only) - Some great spacecraft porn shots! :) Incredible detail.

    [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGoJ66WNapE&hd=1[/yt]
    (If you wonder why there is a fixed starfield background in some shots - that is because the camcorder has so many dead pixels after being up there for years being hit by cosmic radiation)

    Also, here is a 9 min HD clip of the hatch opening - really neat to see all the detail of how the hatch mechanism works. Plus the cool inside! :)

    [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCZwUohCp1o&hd=1[/yt]
     
  20. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

    The entire series of photos by André Kuipers, both of the Dragon and otherwise, are stunning:

    https://secure.flickr.com/photos/astro_andre/

    Though it's a pity that the Progress/Soyuz photo on page 2 seems much more sublime than any of the Dragon photos with the cloudless Earth underneath, with the landmasses and with the two spacecraft pointing down.