IPFS News Link • Space Travel and Exploration
SpaceX’s First Contract Cargo Mission Set for Next Month
• http://www.wired.com, By Jason PaurSpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will again launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida and will carry about 1,000 pounds of supplies, including materials for 63 new scientific investigations, according to NASA. The Commercial Resupply Services flight is being called CRS-1 and includes flying more than 700 pounds of scientific materials and 500 pounds of station hardware. With the retirement of the space shuttle orbiters, the Dragon capsule is the only vehicle capable of bringing back large amounts of cargo. The Soyuz spacecraft can return to Earth with three passengers, but has limited cargo space. Other cargo resupply vehicles are designed to burn up during reentry.
The Dragon is expected to return in late October and will again splash down off of the coast of California after descending under a parachute.
                
            
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    



    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    