#crs10

[for-all-mankind]

Dragon returns to Earth, concluding tenth resupply mission. After spending over a month at the International Space Station, SpaceX’s CRS-10 Dragon returned to Earth early Sunday morning, March 19.  Dragon was released from the station’s robotic arm at 5:11am EDT and performed a deorbit burn five hours later. Splashing down shortly at 10:46am, Dragon returned 3,642 pounds of cargo including urine and tissue samples, and time-sensitive science experiments.  Following its Saturday evening unberthing, Dragon’s sensitive laser navigation sensor inspected the International Docking Adapter-2 where future crewed variants of the vehicle will dock.  SpaceX’s next cargo mission to the ISS, CRS-11, is slated for a mid-May liftoff and will be the first time a Dragon capsule will be reused.

P/C: Thomas Pesquet/NASA, SpaceX.

[everythingspacex]

And through the clouds, emerged the #SpaceX #CRS10 #Falcon9 first stage. Here is the landing, as seen from the NASA Causeway: the rocket emerging from the clouds descending to Landing Zone 1. It was visible for approximately 8 seconds, and I've slowed it here about 50%. As the rocket landed safely, the very top was still visible over the trees. And in case you don't already know, watching it in HD = best. (Photos and sequence by +MichaelSeeley / We Report Space)

[for-all-mankind]

Two historic missions launching from Launch Complex 39-A, 48 years apart. SpaceX’s CRS-10 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket February 19, 2017 on the left, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission on a Saturn V, July 16, 1969, on the right. P/C: SpaceX/NASA

[for-all-mankind]

Falcon 9 prepares for first post-Shuttle era launch from Kennedy Space Center.

The first Falcon 9 rocket stands atop LC-39A Thursday evening, February 16, 2017. Preparing for a Saturday morning launch, the completed rocket and Dragon spacecraft arrived at the launch pad Friday afternoon. Over 5,000 pounds of science experiments and cargo are launching to the International Space Station on CRS-10,  the tenth of 20 missions NASA has contracted to SpaceX to deliver cargo to the orbiting laboratory. CRS-10 marks the first time a rocket has stood atop LC-39A since the final space shuttle mission in 2011, and the first uncrewed rocket atop the pad since the Skylab space station was launched in 1973. SpaceX began leasing the historic Apollo and Shuttle era launch pad in 2015 to accommodate their crewed Falcon and Falcon Heavy launches. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:01am EST February 18. SpaceX will be providing a webcast beginning at 9:50am here, as well as NASA TV coverage here. Shortly after the Dragon spacecraft is expected to reach orbit, the rocket’s first stage will attempt a landing at Landing Zone-1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station nine miles away. P/C: SpaceX/NASA Kennedy

[for-all-mankind]

CRS-10 Dragon arrives at space station following launch from Kennedy.

After launching from Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, the CRS-10 Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station early Thursday morning.  Dragon was captured by the station’s Canadarm2 at 5:44am EST, and was berthed to the Harmony module at 8:12am.  5,473 pounds of cargo and experiments are being delivered to the laboratory via Dragon, including three external payloads carried in Dragon’s trunk. The spacecraft was scheduled to arrive early Wednesday morning until a glitch in the capsule’s navigation system aborted the approach. A computer onboard the spacecraft noticed incorrect values on the vehicle's position relative to the space station, which automatically triggered an abort.  With Dragon’s arrival, three spacecraft are now attached to the ISS. Two Soyuz craft comprising Expedition 49 and 50′s transport vehicles have been at the complex since October and November 2016. Japan’s HTV-6 vehicle, which arrived December 13, departed January 27. Progress 66, which launched Wednesday, will arrive at the complex Friday morning.

P/C: NASA

[for-all-mankind]

Back to back cargo deliveries mark busy week aboard ISS. Two different cargo ships arrived at the International Space Station this week, each returning their respective vehicles to flight status following accidents and setting new historic milestones. On Wednesday, February 22, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with 5,473 pounds of cargo arrived at the complex on the CRS-10 mission. Dragon launched February 19 on what was the first post-shuttle use of the historic LC-19A launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. CRS-10 was the first SpaceX launch from Florida since the Amos-6 accident in September 2016, destroyed their primary launch complex, SLC-40. Less than a day later, on February 23, Progress MS-05 arrived with 5,401 pounds of cargo following its launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome. MS-05, known as 66P in the ISS vehicle manifest, marked the final launch of the Soyuz-U rocket, a variant of the historic rocket that has made 786 flights since 1973. The modern Soyuz-2 rocket rendered the Soyuz-U variant obsolete in 2015. Progress MS-05 was the first Progress flight since the December 1 2016, launch failure of Progress MS-04. P/C: Thomas Pesquet/ESA, Andrei Borisenko/Roscosmos. Below: A NASA diagram showing the visiting vehicles attached to the International Space Station. 

[for-all-mankind]

CRS-10 marked the first daytime landing of the Falcon 9 rocket at LZ-1, and SpaceX captured its return via a drone located nearby. Falcon 9 can be seen descending through a low cloud bank before gently touching down dead-center of the landing pad. Eight minutes before, the rocket launched from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. P/C: SpaceX.

[for-all-mankind]

SpaceX CRS-10 and Progress 66P arrived at the International Space Station this week. Here’s all you need to know on why these missions are significant. P/C: NASA.