SpaceX's 'Dragon' Capsule Carries Four Private Astronauts to the ISS for Axiom Space (arstechnica.com) 35
"It's the third all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station," writes NASA — and they're expected to start boarding within the next hour!
Watch it all on the official stream of NASA TV.
More details from Ars Technica: The four-man team lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Thursday, kicking off a 36-hour pursuit of the orbiting research laboratory. Docking is scheduled for Saturday morning. This two-week mission is managed by Houston-based Axiom Space, which is conducting private astronaut missions to the ISS as a stepping stone toward building a fully commercial space station in low-Earth orbit by the end of this decade.
Axiom's third mission, called Ax-3, launched at 4:49 pm EST (21:49 UTC) Thursday. The four astronauts were strapped into their seats inside SpaceX's Dragon Freedom spacecraft atop the Falcon 9 rocket. This is the 12th time SpaceX has launched a human spaceflight mission, and could be the first of five Dragon crew missions this year.
NASA reports that the crew "will spend about two weeks conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities aboard the space station." NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said "During their time aboard the International Space Station, the Ax-3 astronauts will carry out more than 30 scientific experiments that will help advance research in low-Earth orbit. As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the space station, the Ax-3 crew is proof that the possibility of space unites us all...."
The Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward port of the station's Harmony module as early as 4:19 a.m. [EST] Saturday. Hatches between Dragon and the station are expected to open after 6 a.m. [EST], allowing the Axiom crew to enter the complex for a welcoming ceremony and start their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.... The Ax-3 astronauts are expected to depart the space station Saturday, February 3, pending weather, for a return to Earth and splashdown at a landing site off the coast of Florida.
Watch it all on the official stream of NASA TV.
More details from Ars Technica: The four-man team lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Thursday, kicking off a 36-hour pursuit of the orbiting research laboratory. Docking is scheduled for Saturday morning. This two-week mission is managed by Houston-based Axiom Space, which is conducting private astronaut missions to the ISS as a stepping stone toward building a fully commercial space station in low-Earth orbit by the end of this decade.
Axiom's third mission, called Ax-3, launched at 4:49 pm EST (21:49 UTC) Thursday. The four astronauts were strapped into their seats inside SpaceX's Dragon Freedom spacecraft atop the Falcon 9 rocket. This is the 12th time SpaceX has launched a human spaceflight mission, and could be the first of five Dragon crew missions this year.
NASA reports that the crew "will spend about two weeks conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities aboard the space station." NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said "During their time aboard the International Space Station, the Ax-3 astronauts will carry out more than 30 scientific experiments that will help advance research in low-Earth orbit. As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the space station, the Ax-3 crew is proof that the possibility of space unites us all...."
The Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward port of the station's Harmony module as early as 4:19 a.m. [EST] Saturday. Hatches between Dragon and the station are expected to open after 6 a.m. [EST], allowing the Axiom crew to enter the complex for a welcoming ceremony and start their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.... The Ax-3 astronauts are expected to depart the space station Saturday, February 3, pending weather, for a return to Earth and splashdown at a landing site off the coast of Florida.
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At a tiny fraction of the cost.
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If it's so easy, why has NASA never done it?
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So you can't.
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Why?
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And is that a feature of SpaceX?
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We're talking about how private enterprise was able to do thing NASA couldn't or wouldn't for several decades.
You blamed Congress, but private companies don't get funding from Congress.
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I think I've lost the thread. I thought, at least, this convo was about why private industry is able to move quicker.
Re:Yay! (Score:4, Interesting)
SpaceX manages to do what NASA has already been doing since the 1960s. They must feel very proud of themselves.
What NASA seemingly can barely do itself, anymore.
I'm sure it's embarrassing though, hence the defensiveness. It's like seeing some shining new commercial building next to a crumbling 1960s era government office building.
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Re:Yay! (Score:4, Informative)
Cost for Shuttle to lift 1Kg to orbit: ~$30,000
Cost for 1Kg to orbit on a Falcon 9: ~$2,500.
Holy crap that's cheap enough for me to put on a credit card!. But wait, there's more.
Estimated cost for 1Kg to orbit on a Starship: WTF. ~$200!
But yeah. NASA's been "doing that" since the 60s.
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That's must be why SLS is so much cheaper than Falcon 9.
Oh, wait... I've just been informed that SLS costs per kg to orbit will be almost twice as much as the Space Shuttle.
Maybe NASA should take a lesson from SpaceX's hard work & R&D.
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Why then does SpaceX do? Saying it's because NASA did all the R&D is grossly underrepresenting what they did (and sure, there are former NASA engineers at SpaceX).
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Re: Yay! (Score:2)
The way NASA*was* doing it (they're not anymore) always was cost ineffective. In fact SpaceX has been so disruptive on cost that they basically have a global monopoly on spaceflight. You know that's true when Amazon was forced to buy from them by their shareholders.
What NASA has already been doing since the 1960 &# (Score:2)
When did NASA manage to launch a reusable first-stage and lander. Or implement the Starlink constellation. And why did NASA require Space X to get four NASA astronauts to the International Stace Station.
This has become unremarkable, and that is excellen (Score:5, Insightful)
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And yet, only other American and "private" Chinese companies are attempting to duplicate the art of orbital rocket re-use, years after it was both proven capable and cost effective. You'd think by now that the Europeans, Russia, India and/or Japan would have at least started testing (let alone implementing) such vehicles by now...
Re: This has become unremarkable, and that is exce (Score:2)
Also a marketing opportunity (Score:3)
What is the typical fitness program for these astronauts for a space trip of a certain duration.
Have to close with the obligatory asking for a friend, etc. Not that /. is a bastion of social media or anything, least of all fitness, for crying out loud
why so long to board? (Score:4)
"The Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward port of the station's Harmony module as early as 4:19 a.m. [EST] Saturday. Hatches between Dragon and the station are expected to open after 6 a.m. [EST]"
I don't understand why it takes almost 2 hours for them to board the space station after the capsule docks. What's going on during all that time?
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"The Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward port of the station's Harmony module as early as 4:19 a.m. [EST] Saturday. Hatches between Dragon and the station are expected to open after 6 a.m. [EST]"
I don't understand why it takes almost 2 hours for them to board the space station after the capsule docks. What's going on during all that time?
Alien probing.
Re: why so long to board? (Score:2)
Why the quotes? (Score:3)
The capule's name IS Dragon. Would you say 'Apollo' capsule when discussing the moon landings?
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The capule's name IS Dragon. Would you say 'Apollo' capsule when discussing the moon landings?
They don't want people assuming it's actually a dragon egg. That sort of confusion doesn't exist with Apollo; nobody would think the sun god would deign to lift astronauts to orbit.
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Nah, I would say "Gemini capsule," but I would say "Apollo command module."