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After Trip to ISS, SpaceX's Dragon Capsule Returns Safely To Earth
thomas.kane writes "SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has successfully reentered and is now safely in the waters of the Pacific Ocean after more than 9 days in space. The Dragon capsule became the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station on May 25; SpaceX is contracted by NASA for at least 12 more flights in the coming months bringing supplies to the space station and returning science done on board back to Earth."
Reader MightyMartian adds a link to coverage at the BBC.
This is most excelent news. I, for one, welcome our new private sector space overlords!
Ice Road Space Truckers.
Had to be the video of the astronauts opening up the space capsule with the required safety goggles and masks. If something failed and an astronaut got sucked into space I am sure his final words would have been "The goggles, they do nothing...".
Its great to see private enterprise enter the space race now, maybe NASA will stop billing $20k for a toilet seat and $30k for a hammer because SpaceX can get them at Walmart for $5 a piece.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
Re-Enter The Dragon
If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
SpaceX has just announced the great success of its new heat shield technology. It turns out they were burning facebook shares to protect the craft.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Imagine what that would be like of a successful and safe flight of Dragon carrying people to and from ISS. SpaceX may even beat a crewed Orion (so far they are ahead in terms of actually flying something). There are many critics saying it cannot be done, but reminds me back in usenet days, someone posted a story of a sci-fi author who noted names and home phone numbers of every journalist that denigrated Apollo program during 1960s. Then while really drunk while Neil and Buzz walked the surface of the moon, and in middle of the night he called these journalists on the phone, yelled, "Ya dumb son-of-a-bitch!" and hung up.
Anyone collecting names and phone numbers?
I am pretty sure Neil and Buzz were not drunk while they walked on the moon.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust