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Archive for the Category » Space & Beyond «

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Docks With ISS

Friday, May 25th, 2012 | Author:

Wrapping up this week’s story, the SpaceX Dragon capsule finally docked with the International Space Station earlier today, making it the first privately-owned craft to dock at the station. Aboard were a number of supplies, experiments and the cremated remains of several people, including those of actor James Doohan, best known as “Scotty” from Star Trek.

The figurative road to the ISS was a bit of a rough one, though. The initial launch had to be aborted due to a pressure irregularity in one of the engines, and the launch was rescheduled for a few days later. Then, as the capsule was being put through maneuvering tests prior to docking, a discrepancy in the information coming from Dragon’s LIDAR sensors and its thermal cameras caused the automatic maneuvering to keep it at a further distance than expected.

On the ground, SpaceX managed to adjust the LIDAR, which was being affected by another component of the ISS. Once the problem was resolved, docking proceeded normally; the capture at just before 10:00a Eastern. Two hours later, and the capsule was reported completely docked and attached to the ISS.

Category: Space & Beyond

SpaceX to Make Second Attempt Tomorrow Morning

Monday, May 21st, 2012 | Author:

In case you missed the news, SpaceX’s launch attempt for a rendezvous with the International Space Station had to be scrapped just before lift off on Saturday.

According to a press release from the company, the launch “was aborted when the flight computer detected slightly high pressure in the Engine 5 combustion chamber. We have discovered root cause and repairs are underway.”

During inspection after the launch was cancelled, engineers discovered a faulty check valve on the engine which was the cause of the pressure anomaly. The valve has been replaced and the rocket is officially “go” to launch Tuesday, May 22 at 3:44 AM EDT.

Category: Space & Beyond

SpaceX to Attempt Docking with ISS.

Friday, May 18th, 2012 | Author:

Early tomorrow morning (4:55 EDT), SpaceX—the first private company to launch, orbit, and recover a spacecraft—is going to attempt another first: being the first private company to dock a spacecraft to the International Space Station.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will propel a cargo-laden Dragon capsule towards the ISS. While none of the cargo aboard is considered mission critical or irreplacable, SpaceX’s mission is part of a comprehensive NASA evaluation of their capability to launch, rendezvous with the ISS and return to earth.

While waiting to dock, astronauts will perform a number of tests on Dragon’s automated controls, including a manual override by the ISS crew. Their success will help land them a contract to become the first commercial carrier to deliver to the ISS.

With the ending of the Space Shuttle program and the scuttling of its successor, the United States is currently reliant on other countries like Russia to get our astronauts and supplies into space. Contracts with companies like SpaceX will play key parts in the United States’ role in the future.

Category: Space & Beyond

OWC Pro Corner: The Last Shuttle Project.

Friday, March 23rd, 2012 | Author:

Every day, creative professionals bring something unique and different into the world. A large—and growing—number of these use OWC products as part of their workflow.

Over the last year or so, we’ve mentioned our friends at The Last Shuttle Project, who are documenting the end of the Space Shuttle era. Creator and president Dennis Biela came in to talk to us about the Last Shuttle Project, what they’re doing, and how OWC fits into their workflow.

Category: Space & Beyond

LROC Wide Angle Camera Captures The Moon In A New Light

Friday, November 18th, 2011 | Author:
(Credit: NASA/GSFC/DLR/Arizona State University)

(Credit: NASA/GSFC/DLR/Arizona State University)

Okay, so we’re definitely space junkies that like to bring you the the word on cool, “out of this world” news outside of our atmosphere. The closest orb of interest? The moon. And we’ve been monitoring everything the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has uncovered since its initial launch and historic mission to answer the many questions we have about Earth’s natural satellite. Due to technological and instrumental limitations, scientists have been unable to properly examine the moon’s many geologic formations, rugged terrain and total surface area – until now.

Yesterday NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) team revealed Version 1 of the Wide Angle Camera (WAC) high-resolution topographic map of the moon. This detailed color visualization was produced from a series of images captured by the WAC represents a significant turning point and advancement for lunar researchers. Llunar scientists can now research the geologic terrains to better prepare for future missions. Article Continues…

Category: Space & Beyond