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SpaceX Resupply Mission To Launch March 30

Posted by samzenpus on from the ready-to-go dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Originally scheduled to launch on March 16, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will now launch March 30. From the article: 'Officials delayed launch from March 16 after engineers raised concerns that petroleum stains discovered on thermal blankets could contaminate sensitive components on a high-definition imaging camera and an optical communications experiment mounted inside the Dragon spacecraft's trunk. "After careful review and analysis, engineering teams representing both the ISS and SpaceX have determined Dragon is ready to fly 'as-is.' All parties agree that the particular constituents observed in Dragon's trunk are in line with the previously defined environments levels and do not impose additional risk to the payloads," SpaceX said in a statement.'"

3 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. Faster please by sixoh1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Also per Rand Simberg and others, it appears that Space X is going to launch their 54-ton capable heavy launch vehicle THIS year - thats something like 6 years ahead of NASA's porkbarrel SLS.

    Lets cross our fingers and hope that Elon's engine of creative destruction will blow up the market for government directed launch vehicle technology, and start using the Billions allocated for 1960s rocket technology for something like permanent cis-Lunar habitation, asteroid visits, and/or experimenting with off-planet manufacturing so we can start learning how to build and stay beyond LEO.

    1. Re:Faster please by taiwanjohn · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hear, hear! And if their test with landing legs succeeds, we might even be able to skip a few steps toward that goal. It's about time we stopped letting senators design rockets and hired actual rocket scientists to do that instead.

      --
      XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve your problem, you're not using enough of it. --AC
  2. Re:Iff the Republicans allow it by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Next you are going to tell me that the Republicans want to push grandma off the cliff, take food from starving children, and ruin the environment.

    Yes... What's your point?

    --
    Bruce Perens.