THE DRAGON HAS (SPLASH) LANDED SpaceX�s Dragon Spacecraft Safely Completes Historic Mission to the Space Station May 31, 2012 - Hawthorne, CA � This morning, at approximately 8:42 AM Pacific/11:42 AM Eastern, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completed its historic mission when the Dragon spacecraft splashed down safely in the Pacific.  The vehicle will now be recovered by boats and start the trip back to land.  Last week, SpaceX made history when its Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial vehicle in history to successfully attach to the International Space Station.  Previously only four governments � the United States, Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency � had achieved this challenging technical feat.  Dragon departed the space station this morning. The Hatches Swing Open May 26, 2012 - Hawthorne, CA -- This morning, at 2:53 AM Pacific/5:53 AM Eastern, NASA astronauts stationed on board the International Space Station opened the hatch to SpaceX�s Dragon spacecraft. Astronaut Don Pettit opened the hatch and he and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Station Commander, entered the Dragon for initial inspections. They were joined at the entrance of the hatch by ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers and Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka. The operation went smoothly and ahead of schedule.  Dragon�s interior looked good and Pettit remarked on the vehicle�s new car smell. SpaceX engineers in Hawthorne, CA are putting Dragon into its final configuration for the duration of its visit to the station.  Now the astronauts will get to work unloading the more than 1,000 pounds of cargo before refilling the vehicle with more than 1,400 pounds of cargo that will make the trip home. SpaceX Makes History Dragon Becomes First Commercial Spacecraft to Attach to the Space Station May 25, 2012 - Hawthorne, CA � Today, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) made history when its Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial vehicle in history to successfully attach to the International Space Station.  Previously only four governments � the United States, Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency � had achieved this challenging technical feat. The vehicle was grappled by the station�s robotic arm at 9:56 a.m. Eastern.  Dragon�s passive common berthing mechanism successfully attached to the orbiting laboratory at 12:02 p.m Eastern. When asked for his initial thoughts on Dragon�s capture and move into the history books, Elon Musk stated, �just awesome.� Successful Launch Kicks off SpaceX�s Historic Mission May 22, 2012 - Hawthorne, CA � Today, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft to orbit in an exciting start to the mission that will make SpaceX the first commercial company in history to attempt to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station � something only a handful of governments have ever accomplished. At 3:44 a.m. Eastern, the Falcon 9 carrying Dragon launched from SpaceX�s launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.  Now Dragon heads toward the International Space Station.  On that journey it will be subjected to a series of tests to determine if the vehicle is ready to berth with the station. At a press conference held after the launch, SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk began, �I would like to start off by saying what a tremendous honor it has been to work with NASA.  And to acknowledge the fact that we could not have started SpaceX, nor could we have reached this point without the help of NASA� It�s really been an honor to work with such great people.� The vehicle�s first stage performed nominally before separating from the second stage.  The second stage successfully delivered the Dragon spacecraft into its intended orbit. This marks the third consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch and the fifth straight launch success for SpaceX.  �We obviously have to go through a number of steps to berth with the Space Station, but everything is looking really good and I think I would count today as a success no matter what happens with the rest of the mission,� Musk said. He continued by expressing his gratitude to the more than 1,800 SpaceX employees.  �People have really given it their all.�  Describing the scene inside of SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, he said, �We had most of the company gathered around SpaceX Mission Control.   They are seeing the fruits of their labor and wondering if it is going to work. There is so much hope riding on that rocket.  When it worked, and Dragon worked, and the solar arrays deployed, people saw their handiwork in space operating as it should.  There was tremendous elation.  For us it is like winning the Super Bowl.� Explaining the significance of the day, Musk stated, "This mission heralds the dawn of a new era of space exploration, one in which there is a significant commercial space element.  It is like the advent of the Internet in the mid-1990s when commercial companies entered what was originally a government endeavor.  That move dramatically accelerated the pace of advancement and made the Internet accessible to the mass market.  I think we're at a similar inflection point for space.  I hope and I believe that this mission will be historic in marking that turning point towards a rapid advancement in space transportation technology." This is SpaceX's second demonstration flight under a 2006 Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement with NASA to develop the capability to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station. Demonstration launches are conducted to determine potential issues so that they might be addressed; by their very nature, they carry a significant risk. If any aspect of the mission is not successful, SpaceX will learn from the experience and try again. _ _ _  The COTS 2 Demonstration First Attempt by a Commercial Company to Send a Spacecraft to the Space Station A New Era in Spaceflight We stand at the dawn of an exciting new era in space travel: one in which NASA and commercial companies work in partnership to provide rapid advances in space transportation. This SpaceX mission is a milestone in that transition, marking the first time in history that a commercial company will attempt to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station, something only a few governments have ever accomplished. This is a demonstration mission, a test flight primarily designed to provide NASA and SpaceX with valuable insight to ensure successful future missions. Mission Highlights During the mission, Dragon must perform a series of complex tasks, each presenting significant technical challenges (timeline subject to change): -Day 1/Launch Day: SpaceX�s Falcon 9 rocket launches a Dragon spacecraft into orbit from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. -Day 2: Dragon orbits Earth as it travels toward the International Space Station. -Day 3: Dragon�s sensors and flight systems are subject to a series of complicated tests to determine if the vehicle is ready to berth with the space station; these tests include maneuvers and systems checks that see the vehicle come within 1.5 miles of the station. -Day 4: NASA decides if Dragon is allowed to attempt to berth with the station. If so, Dragon approaches; it is captured by station�s robotic arm and attached to the station. This requires extreme precision even as both Dragon and station orbit the earth every 90 minutes. -Day 5 - TBD: Astronauts open Dragon�s hatch, unload supplies and fill Dragon with return cargo. -TBD: After approximately two weeks, Dragon is detached from the station and returns to Earth, landing in the Pacific, hundreds of miles west of Southern California.   Pushing the Envelope, Success is Not Guaranteed Demonstration launches are conducted to determine potential issues so that they might be addressed and � by their very nature � carry a significant risk. All spaceflight is incredibly complicated, and this flight introduces a series of new challenges � it is only the third flight of the Falcon 9 rocket, the second of the Dragon capsule, and the first for a number of all-new components necessary to berth with the International Space Station. If any aspect of the mission is not successful, SpaceX will learn from the experience and try again. 2nd Flight of the NASA COTS Program This is SpaceX's second demonstration flight under a 2006 Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement with NASA to develop the capability to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station. To date, SpaceX has received $381 million for completing 37 out of 40 milestones worth a possible $396 million set in that agreement. Completed milestones include the first test flight in December 2010, during which SpaceX became the first commercial company to send a spacecraft to low-Earth orbit and recover it successfully, something that only three governments � the United States, Russia and China � have ever done. Next Up Once SpaceX has successfully demonstrated Dragon�s ability to berth with the space station, it will begin to fulfill a 2008 contract signed with NASA for a minimum of 12 flights carrying supplies to and from the space station. Without the space shuttle, Dragon is the only spacecraft in the world capable of returning significant cargo from the space station. Falcon 9 and Dragon were designed to carry astronauts in the future; these cargo missions will yield valuable flight experience toward this goal. The Mission The SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon capsule COTS 2/3 Demo flight passed a milestone on March 1, 2012 when it successfully completed its wet dress rehearsal for the upcoming mission. April 30th, 2012 was the date set for the launch but as the launch date drew near and after reviewing progress, it was clear more time was needed to finish hardware-in-the-loop testing and properly review and follow up on all data. A new launch date was set for May 19, 2012. There is a single instantaneous launch opportunity at 4:55 a.m. EDT. Because of the phenomenal success of the COTS 1 mission, SpaceX requested that Demo Flight 2 and 3 be combined. NASA, after extensive review of the demo flight and review of SpaceX�s preparations for the combined missions, approved the flight on February 7, 2012. Dragon will perform all of the COTS 2 mission objectives, which include numerous operations in the vicinity of the ISS, and will then perform the COTS 3 objectives. These include approach, berthing with the ISS, astronauts opening Dragon and unloading cargo, and finally astronauts closing the spacecraft and sending it back to Earth for recovery from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Just as Dragon�s first mission to orbit and back involved a level of effort equal to launching the first Falcon 9, preparing Dragon for two weeks of operation in space and for approach and berthing with the ISS poses new challenges. Meeting them requires a large amount of detailed planning and careful execution. Each launch day will have just one narrow liftoff window -- no more than a few minutes -- in order to synchronize Dragon�s flight with the orbit of the ISS. Catching up to the ISS will take from one to three days. Once there, Dragon will begin the COTS 2 demonstrations to show proper performance and control in the vicinity of the ISS, while remaining outside the Station�s safe zone. During the entire time Dragon is in the vicinity of the ISS, Station astronauts will be in direct communication with Dragon and will be able to monitor the spacecraft as well as issue spacecraft commands. After successfully completing the COTS 2 requirements, Dragon will receive approval to begin the COTS 3 activities, gradually approaching the ISS from the radial direction (toward the Earth), while under constant observation. Dragon will approach to within a few meters of the ISS, allowing astronauts to reach out and grapple Dragon with the Station�s robotic arm and then maneuver it carefully into place. The entire process will take a few hours. Once in place, Station astronauts will equalize the pressure between the ISS and Dragon, open the hatches, enter the vehicle and begin unloading Dragon�s cargo. After Dragon spends about a week berthed at the ISS, astronauts will reverse the process, loading Dragon with cargo for return to Earth, sealing the hatches, and un-berthing the Dragon using the robotic arm. Dragon will then depart from the ISS and return to Earth within a day or so, and the SpaceX recovery crew will meet it at splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. First Mission for Solar Arrays For its first mission to the International Space Station, SpaceX�s Dragon spacecraft will use deployable solar arrays as its primary power source for running sensors, driving heating and cooling systems, and communicating with SpaceX�s Mission Control Center and the Space Station. Dragon�s solar arrays generate up to 5,000 watts of power � enough to power over 80 standard light bulbs. The solar arrays, shielded by protective covers during launch, deploy just minutes after Dragon separates from the Falcon 9 second stage, as it heads towards its rendezvous with the Space Station. While many commercial satellites and NASA missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope use solar arrays, Dragon will be the first American commercial transport vehicle to do so. Past American spacecraft like Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle used fuel cells or battery packs. Fuel cells are limited by the amount of chemical reactants (typically oxygen and hydrogen) that the vehicle can carry. Batteries alone are limiting due to their mass and the amount of power they can carry. Solar energy provides a key benefit � long-term power. Combining Dragon�s solar arrays with a compact and efficient battery pack provides a reliable and renewable source of power. When in the sun, Dragon�s solar arrays recharge the battery pack, and the charged batteries provide power while Dragon passes through the Earth�s shadow. With solar panels, Dragon will have the power it needs for longer trips, whether to the Space Station or future missions to Mars. Dragon�s deployable solar arrays were developed from scratch by a small team of SpaceX engineers. To ensure they will survive the harsh environment of space, our engineers put the solar arrays through hundreds of hours of rigorous testing including thermal, vacuum, vibration, structural and electrical testing. SpaceX conducts most of these tests in-house. After testing was complete, the solar arrays headed to SpaceX�s Cape Canaveral launch site for final integration. The solar arrays and fairing covers that protect the folded arrays during launch have since been installed on the Dragon spacecraft in preparation for their first flight to the International Space Station.