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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered into space and delivered aDragon cargo capsule into orbit on May 22, 2012. The launch beganan ambitious mission to show that the company is ready to delivercargo to the International Space Station. "We're now back on the brink of a new future, a future thatembraces the innovation the private sector brings to the table,"said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "The significance of thisday cannot be overstated. While there is a lot of work ahead tosuccessfully complete this mission, we are off to a good start." Working with an instantaneous launch window, SpaceX, short forSpace Exploration Technologies of Hawthorne, Calif., proceededthrough a flawless countdown. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex-40at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida came at 3:44 a.m.EDT, just as the station was crossing 249 miles above the NorthAtlantic. "Every bit of adrenaline in my body released at that moment," saidElon Musk about the moment the rocket lifted off the pad. Musk isthe founder, CEO and chief designer of SpaceX. "People were reallygiving it their all. For us, it was like winning the Super Bowl." The launch came three days after the rocket aborted a previouslaunch attempt. William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associateadministrator for Human Exploration and Operations MissionDirectorate, lauded the company for getting the craft ready for thesuccessful launch. "They stayed focused and kept moving forward," Gerstenmaier said."Things are moving in the right direction." Dragon is carrying about 1,200 pounds of supplies for the crew ofthe station and experiments designed by students. The spacecraftcan hold 7,300 pounds of material for delivery to the station, butsince this is a test flight, the manifest was limited to importantbut not critical materials. Food and clothing make up the bulk ofthe supplies. The launch put the Dragon on a course to rendezvous with the spacestation in three days. A detailed series of navigation and othersystems tests will be performed in space before the capsule isallowed to move close enough to the station for astronauts to grabit with the robot arm and connect it to the Earth-facing port ofthe Harmony module. The tests include a careful approach to the station that calls forthe spacecraft to pause several times. The space station crew alsowill show that they can communicate directly with the uncrewedDragon capsule. If all the testing goes well, they will go aheadwith the rendezvous and berthing. "There's still a thousand things that have to go right, but we arelooking forward to this exciting mission," said Alan Lindemoyer,manager of NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program. The Dragon will remain connected to the station for about threeweeks, allowing astronauts to empty it before loading usedscientific equipment inside for the return to Earth. Reversing the process of connecting the spacecraft to the station,astronauts will use the robotic arm to remove the Dragon capsule.The Dragon will then de-orbit and return to Earth under parachutes,splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Skirting Boards Profiles , China Waterproof Skirting Board for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Kitchen Cabinet Plinth.
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