Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Space

International Space Station astronauts thrilled to have first private visit

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
January 8, 2012
in Space, Space flight
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Life on the ISS has its ups and downs, its perks and downsides; but in February, something which seemed a fantasy two decades ago is about to happen: the first private spaceship will ‘visit’ the International Space Station, marking the start of a new era in spaceflight.

The private spaceflight company SpaceX plans to launch its unmanned Dragon capsule to orbit Feb. 7 atop the firm’s Falcon 9 booster from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida. The capsule will carry food, clothes, and other basic supplies for the station.

ADVERTISEMENT

We’re excited about that,” NASA astronaut Don Pettit told SPACE.com in an interview Wednesday (Jan. 4) from the station. “Anytime you have a visiting vehicle coming by, that’s an exciting day.”

Dragon’s flight, which is partially funded by NASA will be the first in a series of many planned for the upcoming years. After remaining docked for about a year, it will separate itself and start its journey back to Earth, where it will be picked up after landing in the Pacific ocean.

Sorry to interrupt, but you should really...

...Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

“While our first missions to the ISS will be to transport cargo, both Falcon 9 and Dragon were designed to ultimately transport astronauts,” SpaceX officials wrote in a Dec. 15 update. “Every trip we make to the ISS from this point forward gets us closer to that goal.”

Via Space.com

ADVERTISEMENT

Tags: commercial space flightdragonSpaceX
ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Andrei's background is in geophysics, and he's been fascinated by it ever since he was a child. Feeling that there is a gap between scientists and the general audience, he started ZME Science -- and the results are what you see today.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.