Wed, Apr 15, 2015
Booster Encounters Problems Landing On Floating Platform
On Tuesday, April 14, 2015, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifted off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, beginning SpaceX’s sixth official mission to resupply the space station for NASA. The launch occurred at 4:10pm EDT and while weather had remained a concern during the countdown, Falcon 9 executed a picture-perfect liftoff into a nearly cloudless sky.
Falcon 9 was carrying the Dragon spacecraft, which is loaded with about 4,300 pounds of supplies and payloads bound for the International Space Station (ISS).
Approximately three minutes into flight, Falcon 9’s second stage and Dragon separated from the rocket’s first stage. The second stage’s single Merlin Vacuum engine ignited for a seven-minute burn to deliver Dragon to its initial orbit. Dragon separated from Falcon 9 approximately 10 minutes into flight, and began deploying its solar arrays shortly thereafter. Below the solar array fairings can be seen separating from the spacecraft.
Dragon is now a two-and-a-half day journey to reach the ISS. It is targeted to be grappled by the station’s robotic arm on Friday, April 17 at approximately 7:00am EDT, with berthing and hatch opening occurring over the following day.
Meanwhile, Falcon 9’s first stage attempted a precision landing on our autonomous spaceport drone ship named “Just Read the Instructions” as part of an ongoing attempt to land and recover a rocket after it completes its primary mission. The stage made it to the drone ship and landed, but excess lateral velocity caused it to tip over. SpaceX’s next landing and recovery attempt will occur during the CRS-7 mission, currently targeted for June 2015.
(Images provided by SpaceX)
More News
Aero Linx: Model Aeronautical Association of Australia MAAA clubs are about fun flying, camaraderie and community. For over 75 years, the MAAA has been Australia’s largest fl>[...]
Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]
“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Student Pilot Reported That During Rotation, “All Of A Sudden The Back Of The Plane Kicked To The Right..." Analysis: The student pilot reported that during rotation, “>[...]