Yesterday's successful launch of a used Dragon spacecraft, to bring supplies and scientific equipment to the International Space Station, aboard a Falcon 9 launcher with a used first stage, is an important proof for SpaceX from NASA regarding the safety of using its used launchers. After the successful launch, the spent first stage landed, once again, on the land landing pad at Cape Canaveral, the company's 20th successful landing.
SpaceX company a routine Yesterday, at 17:36 (Israel time), a used Dragon spacecraft headed towards the International Space Station, on top of a used Falcon 9 launcher. The launch was carried out from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida, and is the 13th in number within the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract of the company with NASA.
The Dragon spacecraft that was launched was loaded in 2,205 kg of supplies and scientific equipment. The spacecraft entered a successful initial low-Earth orbit, deployed its solar panels, and began a slow cruise toward the International Space Station. She is expected to arrive at the station tomorrow, so the station's robotic arm will grab her and attach her to it.
The spacecraft is used, and made its first flight to the space station in April 2015 (mission CRS-6), with a parachute landing in the Pacific a month later. This is the second time that SpaceX has launched a used Dragon spacecraft to the space station, when the first time Happened in June 2017.
Like the spacecraft, the rocket that brought it into space was also used. The first stage of the Falcon 9 made its first flight in June 2017, also then on a mission to launch a Dragon spacecraft to the space station (mission CRS-11). As then, after the launch yesterday, the launcher made a precise, successful and impressive landing, therefore the landing in Cape Canaveral. This is the successful landing The 20th in number of the Falcon 9 first stage, since The first successful landing two years ago.
Yesterday's launch was an important step in the multi-use revolution that Elon Musk and his space company are trying to bring about, in order to significantly lower the costs of launching into space. Although this is the fourth launch of a Falcon 9 with a first stage that has flown before (The first used launch was carried out in March of this year), but this is the first time a used launcher has been used in a NASA mission.
NASA's decision to approve the use of a used Falcon 9 launcher is a kind of assurance to SpaceX regarding the safety of using such launchers, and may encourage commercial companies and other government organizations (such as the US military) to agree to use used launchers.
The discussions between SpaceX and NASA regarding the use of a used launcher Began In January of this year, and NASA gave the final approval for this a few weeks ago. The decision was made after a thorough examination of the safety of using a used launcher. The agency has so far only approved the use of the specific used stage that was launched yesterday, and this is because it has made one single launch in the past to low-earth orbit, so it did not experience heavy loads during launch and landing.
"We are pretty confident that the risk level of this vehicle is not significantly greater than that of a new accelerator," said Kirk Shearman, director of the International Space Station program at NASA, according to A report by the SpaceNews website. According to Shirman, some of the risks in a used launcher are actually less than a new launcher, while others are higher, so "the end result is about the same risk", he said.
It is worth mentioning that neither the Falcon 9 nor the Dragon spacecraft are fully multi-purpose. In the case of the launcher, its upper rocket stage is unable to return to Earth, and burns up in the atmosphere. In the case of the spacecraft, only its space capsule, which contains the compressed cargo compartment (that is, contains a protected atmosphere inside), returns to Earth. The uncompressed rear trunk, which is wide open to outer space, and in which is cargo that is not required to stay in protected conditions, as well as the spacecraft's solar panels, burned up in the atmosphere at the end of the mission.
SpaceX Has announced All of its remaining launches, under its first contract with NASA for supply launches to the space station, will be carried out using used Dragon spacecraft. The company's second contract with NASA, which is expected to begin in 2019, will make use of the future model of the Dragon spacecraft, Dragon 2. Although Dragon 2 is being developed to launch astronauts to the space station, the company will also use it for unmanned cargo launches.
Watch the launch and landing moments of the used Falcon:
Yes, the launch that exploded together with Amos 6 last year is back in action
Yesterday's launch followed the launch of SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida, the first time SpaceX has used this particular launch pad after it was severely damaged. In the explosion of the Falcon 9 in September 2016, which also caused the destruction of the Israeli communication satellite Amos 6.
Return to activity at the launch pad SLC-40 Allows the company to move its future commercial launches from the east coast of the USA to it, and vacate the launch pad LC-39A, located at Kennedy Spaceport, adjacent to Cape Canaveral Air Force Base.
The company intends to use the LC-39A launch pad only for manned launches to the International Space Station, which are expected to begin next year, as well as for flights of its new launcher, the Falcon Heavy, whose maiden flight is currently scheduled to take place in January 2018 (in this flight, which is a test flight And therefore does not contain a valuable cargo like a satellite, Elon Musk announced that his personal Tesla car would be launched near Mars).
It is worth noting and adding that in addition to the two launch sites indicated above, SpaceX has a third launch site on the West Coast of the USA, inVandenberg Air Force Base in California. The company is also building Fourth launch site Near Brownsville, Texas, near the border with Mexico.
Among the equipment launched to the station: a space debris impact monitoring device
The Dragon spacecraft that was launched yesterday to the space station contained 2,205 kg of equipment and supplies for the space station. Besides supplies and food for the station crew, the spacecraft also carried a number of interesting and noteworthy experiments:
Sensor for measuring solar radiation: TSIS-1 (short for Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor), will measure the light radiation that reaches the Earth from the Sun. NASA has been monitoring the sun's radiation from space for many years, in order to examine its effect on the ecological systems and climate on Earth, but the new sensor will provide a level of accuracy that is 3 times higher than the current measurements.
A device for monitoring the impact of space debris particles on the space station: SDS (abbreviation of Space Debris Sensor) will monitor and measure impacts of space debris particles on the station, with the aim of improving the understanding of the space debris environment around the Earth, thus improving the ability to protect the lives of astronauts.
Production of optical fibers under weightless conditions: trial Made In Space Fiber Optics Will examine whether the production of optical fibers under weightless conditions will improve their efficiency compared to optical fibers produced on Earth. Under normal gravity conditions, the type of glass from which the fibers are made, the machine ZBLAN, forms crystals at the atomic level when it solidifies. The researchers of the experiment believe that under weightless conditions, the glass will crystallize to a lesser degree, and thus it will be possible to improve the optical capabilities of the fibers.
See more on the subject on the science website:
- SpaceX will launch a Tesla car into orbit near Mars
- Elon Musk reveals the way he will pay for his giant Mars rover
- SpaceX launched a used Falcon 9 launcher for the third time - and landed it on a rig in the middle of the sea
- SpaceX launched a used spacecraft to the space station for the first time
- History in space: SpaceX first launched a Falcon 9 launcher with a used first stage
- SpaceX plans to launch two space tourists next year for a flight around the moon
