Spacex Is Headed To The International Space Station This Morning

[TexasTesla]

Elon is pushing the boundaries again!

SpaceX did an important test launch this morning...

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on schedule at 2:49 a.m. Saturday.

It's a test flight without crew aboard, designed to demonstrate the potential for carrying astronauts into orbit on a commercial spacecraft.

This marks the first and only demo mission that Crew Dragon will fly without humans on board. If all goes well, the capsule design will undergo a few more reviews and safety checks, and it could be ready to fly two NASA astronauts to the space station in July, based on the space agency's current timeline.

The rocket and capsule separated about 11 minutes after launch. Crew Dragon will go on to autonomously dock with the International Space Station at about 6 a.m. ET Sunday. Plans call for it to remain docked with the station for five days. On March 8, it will undock and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean around 8:45 a.m. ET.

 

[3wheelin]

View attachment 23384 Elon is pushing the boundaries again!

SpaceX did an important test launch this morning...

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on schedule at 2:49 a.m. Saturday.

It's a test flight without crew aboard, designed to demonstrate the potential for carrying astronauts into orbit on a commercial spacecraft.

This marks the first and only demo mission that Crew Dragon will fly without humans on board. If all goes well, the capsule design will undergo a few more reviews and safety checks, and it could be ready to fly two NASA astronauts to the space station in July, based on the space agency's current timeline.

The rocket and capsule separated about 11 minutes after launch. Crew Dragon will go on to autonomously dock with the International Space Station at about 6 a.m. ET Sunday. Plans call for it to remain docked with the station for five days. On March 8, it will undock and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean around 8:45 a.m. ET.

I'm telling ya, this guy's got so much going on I wonder if he's managing sleep...let alone take a vacation! Although I won't be buying a Tesla 3 anytime soon, I applaud him for continuing to help our American workers put food in the table! Some workers will most likely lost their jobs for E. Musk's decision to close stores and move online but in the grand scheme of things, this is so he can finally offer the 35K Tesla 3!

 

[TexasTesla]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A sleek new American-built capsule with just a test dummy aboard docked smoothly with the International Space Station on Sunday, bringing the U.S. a big step closer to getting back in the business of launching astronauts.

The white, bullet-shaped Dragon capsule, developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company under contract to NASA, closed in on the orbiting station nearly 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean and, flying autonomously, linked up on its own, without the help of the robotic arm normally used to guide spacecraft into position.

Dragon’s arrival marked the first time in eight years that an American-made spacecraft capable of carrying humans has flown to the space station.

If this six-day test flight goes well, a Dragon capsule could take two NASA astronauts to the orbiting outpost this summer.

Go Elon!!!!

 

[Rickb]

Yes, Go EM! (Elon Musk)

 

[Burg]

And this is related to Elio Motors, how?

 

[RSchneider]

And this is related to Elio Motors, how?

Giving Paul some ideas after Elio Motors takes off and is successful. Elio Space would be a good followup.