Technology news and Jobs 
Science Private SpaceX Flight 4 rocket launch successful
Science Private SpaceX Flight 4 rocket launch successful | Private SpaceX Flight 4 rocket launch successful |
|
| by William Atkins | |
| Tuesday, 30 September 2008 | |
|
Page 3 of 3 The SpaceX website states, “As a winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition (COTS), SpaceX is in a position to help fill the gap in American spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010.” Featured Whitepaper
5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support
Science DiscussionsAnd, ”SpaceX is the only COTS contender that has the capability to return pressurized cargo and crew to Earth. The first Falcon 9 will arrive at the SpaceX launch site (complex 40) at Cape Canaveral by the end of 2008 in preparation for its maiden flight in 2009.” Although NASA is urging private ventures to help it gap the five years between the retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2010 and the beginning of manned operations of the Orion space capsule and the Ares launch vehicle, the space agency is hedging its bets with the Russians. As of September 25, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved the ability of NASA to buy additional Russian Soyuz spacecraft to send cargo and humans to the International Space Station. Currently, the agreement with NASA and Russia expires in 2011. Because Russia sells high-tech equipment to Iran it is against U.S. law to purchase Russian equipment, such as the Soyuz spacecraft. However, a waiver has been approved in the past to the Iran, North Korea, Syria Non-Proliferation Act. It has been a concern lately that Congress may not pass another waiver to the Act because of Russia's hostile actions against Georgia. However, with the approval of the waiver in the House, only the approval of the U.S. Senate is needed for NASA to again purchase Russian spacecraft. A contract with Russia is needed three years ahead of the actual finished product because it takes Russia three years to build a Soyuz craft. The year 2008 is the cut off year to the 2011 end of the current contract with Russia. NASA is also considering delaying the retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2010. Such a task would probably mean that NASA sends two shuttle flight per year (between 2010 and 2015) to the ISS in order to re-supply the station with food, supplies, fuel, and other necessessities, along with switching out Expedition crewmembers. |
Tags
| < Next story in category | Previous story in the category > |
|---|
