Cancel

gear Push settings

bars

homehome Home chatchat Notifications


International Space Station astronauts thrilled to have first private visit

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 […]

Mihai Andrei
January 8, 2012 @ 11:07 am

share Share

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.

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.

“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

share Share

The Universe’s First “Little Red Dots” May Be a New Kind of Star With a Black Hole Inside

Mysterious red dots may be a peculiar cosmic hybrid between a star and a black hole.

Quakes on Mars Could Support Microbes Deep Beneath Its Surface

A new study finds that marsquakes may have doubled as grocery deliveries.

Pregnancy in Space Sounds Cool Until You Learn What Could Go Wrong

Growing a baby in space sounds like science fiction. Here’s why it might stay that way.

Astronomers Spotted a Ghostly Star Orbiting Betelgeuse and Its Days Are Already Numbered

A faint partner explains the red giant's mysterious heartbeat.

Our Radar Systems Have Accidentally Turned Earth into a Giant Space Beacon for the Last 75 Years and Scientists Say Aliens Could Be Listening

If aliens have a radio telescope, they already know we exist.

For the First Time Ever We Can See Planets Starting to Form Around a Star

JWST and ALMA peered through a natural opening in the star’s surrounding cloud to catch the action up close.

Scientists just figured out how to turn moon dirt into water and oxygen just using sunlight

Scientists find a way to turn moon regolith into water, air, and fuel…and that could change space travel.

NASA finally figures out what's up with those "Mars spiders"

They're not actual spiders, of course, but rather strange geological features.

Scientists Discover 9,000 Miles of Ancient Riverbeds on Mars. The Red Planet May Have Been Wet for Millions of Years

A new look at Mars makes you wonder just how wet it really was.

Scientists Are Racing to Reach a Mysterious World Before It Disappears for 11,000 Years

In 2076, Sedna will make a once-in-11,400-year close pass near the Sun.