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techdiver

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SpaceX rocket lifts off for space station trial run


The SpaceX Falcon 9 test rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida,
By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Wed May 23, 2012 4:41am IST

(Reuters) - An unmanned rocket owned by privately held Space Exploration Technologies blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Tuesday on the first commercial flight to the International Space Station.

The 178-foot (54-meter) tall Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 3:44 a.m. (0744 GMT) from a refurbished launch pad just south of where NASA launched its now-retired space shuttles.

Less than 10 minutes later, the rocket delivered its cargo - a Dragon capsule with 1,200 pounds (544 kg) of supplies for the station crew - into orbit.

"Feels like a giant weight just came off my back," company founder and chief executive Elon Musk posted on Twitter after Dragon deployed its solar panels, the first of several key milestones that must be met before the spacecraft is cleared to dock at the station.

"Every launch into space is a thrilling event, but this one is especially exciting because it represents the potential of a new era in American spaceflight," John Holdren, President Barack Obama's chief science adviser, said in a statement.

NASA is counting on companies like Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, to take over the task of flying cargo - and eventually astronauts - to the $100 billion space station, which orbits about 240 miles above Earth.

Currently, NASA is dependent on Russia to fly crew to the station, at a cost of more than $60 million per person. Russia, Europe and Japan also fly cargo to the station.

If its test flight is successful, SpaceX would become the first private company to reach the space station, a microgravity research complex for biological, materials, fluid physics and other science experiments and technology demonstrations.

The Aerospace Industries Association said the launch was a milestone for U.S. space flight and showed how collaborative investments by government and industry could help the United States remain an important player in space.

"Continuing collaborative investments in NASA's commercial crew program will be crucial to ending our dependence on Russia for astronaut launch," said AIA President Marion Blakey. "This launch, along with other investments NASA and industry are making, shows that our nation still has the right stuff."

SpaceX and a second company, Orbital Sciences Corp, already hold contracts worth a combined $3.5 billion to fly cargo to the station.

SpaceX also is among four firms vying to build space taxis to fly astronauts, tourists and non-NASA researchers.

Separately, NASA contributed nearly $400 million to SpaceX's $1.2 billion commercial space program, which includes development and up to three test flights of Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon capsules.

The U.S. Air Force is closely following launch efforts by SpaceX and Orbital Sciences in hopes of introducing competition to the launches of national security satellites later this decade. At the moment, most big military and intelligence satellites are launched into space by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing Co (BA.N) and Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N).

An analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office shows that a similar program under traditional NASA procurement would have cost four to 10 times as much, said NASA's Alan Lindenmoyer, who manages the agency's commercial spaceflight initiatives.

Tuesday's launch followed a last-second cutoff of Falcon's planned liftoff on Saturday. Engineers later traced the problem to climbing pressure in an engine chamber due to a faulty purge valve.

"It looks like we probably could have flown with the condition," SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said. “"Once we separated from the ground, things would have settled down a bit, but it was still the right thing to do."

Dragon will take about a day to reach the space station's orbit. It will then spend another day practicing maneuvers and testing its communications systems and navigation aids. If all goes as planned, NASA is expected to clear Dragon for berthing at the space station on Friday.

“"Everything is looking really good," Musk told reporters after launch. “I would count today as a success no matter what happens the rest of the mission."


I don't like to toot our own horn, but....... TOOT !!TOOT !!!:usflag:
 
USA is already num 1 in everthing , you don't have to show off at all.:coffee:
 
Götterdämmerung;2963859 said:
In space and weapon tech, no doubt, but they can't make a decent car or television set. ;)

lol agreed, usa is number one in everything that Harms humans, and they are last in everything that is useful to human beings.
 
Götterdämmerung;2963859 said:
In space and weapon tech, no doubt, but they can't make a decent car or television set. ;)
Really!?
2012-ford-fusion.jpg

2012-Cars-GMC-Acadia-Concept-460x345.jpg
 
Lol. Idk why but Arabs love American cars.
 

In USA rich people buy European cars and the middle class buy the Asian ones
the high school kids ans poor buy 40 year old American cars for 100$ or less

by the way that's Ford Fusion America cheated with it in that car the borrowed heavily from Mazda in engine , chassis and transmission , well on the bright side the rest of the design is American
 
Götterdämmerung;2965817 said:
Eww, you don't want me to show you German and other European cars, do you? :lol:

No you don't have to, We already know, they are relatively cheaper and practical for middle class people. I would die to have GMC rather than Mercedes, it's a real car, it's like you drive a tank not a car. But it's prob is ridiculous consumption of gasoline. In every single street in Jordan you see tens of Mercedes cars, they are everywhere.
 
No you don't have to, We already know, they are relatively cheaper and practical for middle class people. I would die to have GMC rather than Mercedes, it's a real car, it's like you drive a tank not a car. But it's prob is ridiculous consumption of gasoline. In every single street in Jordan you see tens of Mercedes cars, they are everywhere.

Sorry, dirt poor countries like Jordan are no yardsticks for cars. And gas guzzling cars are exactly the reason why the US can't produce a decent car.

I consider it very stupid to wear fake flags, you will have to start.

I consider it as stupid to make assumptions of one's ethicity when you run out of argument. We are here to debate and put forward our arguments and not on a guess the ethnic/nationality forum where you evaluate the argument according to the ethnic/nationality of the poster. Racists are generally stupid.
 

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