Bill Ingalls, NASA, Getty Images
Industryweek 10746 040816spacexbillingallsnasa
Industryweek 10746 040816spacexbillingallsnasa
Industryweek 10746 040816spacexbillingallsnasa
Industryweek 10746 040816spacexbillingallsnasa
Industryweek 10746 040816spacexbillingallsnasa

SpaceX Launching First Cargo Since 2015 Accident

April 8, 2016
The space transportation company will ship about 7,000 pounds worth of gear to the International Space Station, including an inflatable space room (seriously).

MIAMI — Nine months after a SpaceX rocket exploded on the way to the International Space Station, the California-based company is counting down to the launch of another flight to resupply astronauts in orbit. The unmanned Dragon capsule is poised to blast off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., at 4:43 Friday afternoon atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

The spaceship will carry some 7,000 pounds of gear for the six astronauts living at the research outpost, including an inflatable space room astronauts will test in microgravity. Known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, the inflatable chamber will be temporarily attached to the space station.

Although SpaceX has successfully flown its newly upgraded Falcon 9 rocket twice since last year’s accident, Friday will mark the first return flight to the ISS, the eighth in a series of resupply trips NASA has commissioned from SpaceX.

The company blamed the June 2015 blast on a faulty strut in the Falcon 9’s upper booster, which allowed a helium bottle to snap loose, causing the explosion of the rocket, cargo ship and all its contents just over two minutes into the flight.

After Friday’s launch, SpaceX will make another attempt at landing Falcon 9’s first stage on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean. Although the company has managed to land stages upright on solid ground, multiple attempts at a water touchdown have failed.

“We certainly hope we are going to nail the landing this time,” SpaceX vice president Hans Koenigsmann said.

The effort is part of CEO Elon Musk’s ongoing bid to lower the cost of launching to space by making rocket components reusable. (Expensive rocket parts are currently jettisoned into the ocean after launch.)

If all goes well, the Dragon will become the fourth vehicle to visit the ISS in four weeks. Set to dock at the space station on Sunday, the capsule would join its competitor, Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo craft, which launched to the station last month and remains attached to the orbiting space laboratory.

Dragon’s arrival will mark the “first time that the two vehicles, contracted by NASA and developed by private industry to resupply the station, are connected to the space station at the same time,” the US space agency said.

In addition to the Cygnus, four Russian spacecraft — two Soyuz crew capsules and two Progress cargo — are docked at the ISS. Six capsules parked at the station would tie a record for most vehicles there at once. That last happened in 2011.

The weather forecast was 90% favorable for liftoff, with clear skies and light winds expected on Friday.

“It will be a great day to launch a rocket,” NASA weather officer Kathy Winters said. NASA plans to broadcast the Dragon’s arrival at the ISS early Sunday, beginning at 5:30 a.m. EDT.

By Kerry Sheridan

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2016

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

How Manufacturers Can Optimize Operations with Weather Intelligence

Nov. 2, 2023
The bad news? Severe weather has emerged as one of the biggest threats to continuity and safety in manufacturing. The good news? The intelligence solutions that build weather ...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!