Square Off the Dragon

Repeatedly failed to fly, this weekend will again try Dragon traveling in space. The green light has been given by the U.S. space agency (NASA). 

SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft. 
(Picture from: http://tommytoy.typepad.com/)

Dragon is the capsule's space transportation company SpaceX. Capsule which will carry cargo mission was the first private spacecraft to visit and join the International Space Station (ISS).

Capsule conical tip of the pencil would like riding Falcon 9 rocket, which will take him into space. The launch is scheduled to take place on Saturday morning, 4:55 ET from launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. 

Actually, the Dragon is scheduled to fly on April 30, but the company owned by Elon Musk, PayPal founder and Tesla Motors, rescheduled until a week later. They argued that the software should check the return flight capsule. 

Falcon 9 rocket launch to the  
International Space Station (ISS). 
(Picture from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/)

D-Day approached, SpaceX shift the launch date back until May 10. Flight plan of the Dragon is also retained for the Russian space agency plans to launch three new astronauts to the ISS on May 15. SpaceX have to wait for the Russian Soyuz docked safely on the ISS. 

After repeated delays, a spokesman for SpaceX announced that it had asked for a target launch on May 19 from Cape Canaveral with a backup plan on May 22.

Decision to repeatedly delay the launch schedule was forced to do because SpaceX and NASA did not want to risk damaging the capsule space station ISS is worth U.S. $ 100 billion. They continually conduct an examination of the capsule and the Falcon 9 rocket. 

"SpaceX and NASA almost completed the process to ensure the performance of software," said SpaceX spokeswoman, Kirstin Brost Grantham, last week, "so far no problems found during the process, but given the complexity of this mission, we want to be extra careful." 

This will be a demonstration launch for SpaceX in both Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program of NASA. After reaching orbit, the capsule carrying cargo to the ISS will join the space station when the system is running fine amalgamation. 

Dragon capsule while separating from the 2nd stage rocket. (Picture from: http://www.space.com/)

"The main purpose of this capsule flight was flying over ISS in Distance 2.4 miles to validate the operation of the sensor and flight system required for a safe approach and merging," said Brost Grantham. "This aircraft will also demonstrate the ability to cancel the merger plan. Once this capability is proven successful, are welcome Dragon docked at the ISS."

Dragon capsule approached the ISS and will be captured by robotic arm. (Picture from: http://cdn.physorg.com/)

If all the process smoothly, just three days after launch, Dragon will approach the ISS. Crew station in Earth orbit that will use the ISS robotic arm to capture the capsule. Robotic arm that will be controlled from the station by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from and his partner, Andre Kuipers, from the European space agency (ESA). 

SpaceX Dragon docked at ISS. (Picture from: http://www.universetoday.com/)

Capsule that will carry cargo to the ISS weighs 521 pounds. On his return from a brief visit to the ISS, SpaceX capsule "will bring" a souvenir "weighing 660 pounds on Earth.

First commercial spaceflight to dock with ISS.(Picture from: KORAN TEMPO 3881)

The cargo will be the first mission as a company SpaceX to NASA's space transportation. Since the end of the shuttle program last year, NASA and other international space programs are forced to rely on the capsules belong to the Russian space agency to ferry crews to the ISS as well as logistics. 

As an alternative, NASA developed a partnership with a number of private companies, like SpaceX, to build a commercial space flight, either for manned missions and space exploration is done by robots. SpaceX, which has an official name 'Space Exploration Technologies, NASA has pocketed a contract worth U.S. $ 1.6 billion to fly 12 missions, unmanned cargo delivery. 

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX, founded the company in 2002 with Tom Mueller. SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 1 rocket boosters and the Falcon, including a mission to send a satellite into earth orbit. 

SpaceX not only serves as a "taxi" for NASA's space, but also plans to travel into space travel, even building a private space station one day. In realizing this idea of ​​space tourism, SpaceX took Bigelow Aerospace. 

Both companies were planning to mobilize an international initiative to explore the high interest of tasting experience of being in space. SpaceX plans to use the Dragon as the basis for the development of a capsule that could carry humans, both the ISS and to Mars. 

"From the beginning, our aim is to make a capsule that can transport people," said SpaceX Crew Development and Commercial Manager, Garrett Reisman. Former NASA astronaut joined SpaceX in 2011 after the company successfully send and return the Dragon capsule from orbit. "I saw the game has changed," he said, "we are entering a new golden age." *** [SPACEX | AP | NASA | SPACE | TJANDRA DEWI | KORAN TEMPO 3881]

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