SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the discount-on-refurbished-dragons dept.
[Ed note: Please accept my apologies for messing up the scheduling of this story. This story was supposed to post prior to launch, but an error on my part scheduled it afterwards. Note: the launch was successful, booster rocket landed back at the landing site on land, and the Dragon capsule has deployed without issue.]
According to Ars Technica, After a Month-Long Break, SpaceX Aims to Return to Flight Monday:
After standing down for a month due to Air Force maintenance on the launch range along the US East Coast, SpaceX will attempt to return to flight on Monday. Provided the weather and spacecraft cooperate, the company will launch a Dragon carrying about 3 tons of cargo to the International Space Station. Launch time is set for 12:31pm ET, and there is a 70-percent chance of "go" conditions for the instantaneous launch window.
This will be SpaceX's 11th launch attempt of 2017, with the company already having flown more rockets into space this year than in any previous calendar year. It last flew on July 5, when a Falcon 9 rocket lifted the very heavy Intelsat 35e communications satellite, nearly 7 tons, to geostationary orbit. Because the Dragon spacecraft is only going to low Earth orbit, the Falcon 9 rocket flying Monday will have plenty of propellant left behind to attempt a return to Landing Zone 1, along the Florida Coast.
According to the company, this will also be the last time a "new" Dragon cargo spacecraft flies into space. Future cargo missions will be fulfilled with refurbished Dragons that the company recovers after water landings in the Pacific Ocean. This change should allow the company to move into production of crew variants of the Dragon spacecraft.
Spaceflight Now has a timeline of the launch attempt.
SpaceX's YouTube channel will be hosting a live webcast of the launch and booster recovery.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 14 2017, @04:51PM (3 children)
All successful so far: launch, 1st stage return, and the assorted separations and deployments.
Coming up next, the most boring vehicular chase sequence ever, with 36 hours of ISS driving in circles, pursued by a Dragon.
(Score: 4, Funny) by takyon on Monday August 14 2017, @04:53PM (2 children)
You won't believe what happens at the end.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 5, Funny) by bob_super on Monday August 14 2017, @05:41PM (1 child)
It's definitely rated X.
Though, given the size ratio and the lack of child support after the payload is delivered, it's more like insects anyway. Does the poor dragon realize she'll mate again with the next one to come near her? The ISS's a slut.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Monday August 14 2017, @07:45PM
They are both sluts. They will mate with anyone, and do it on film, and thousands/millions watch it live or delays on the internet. This is the definition of a porn star.