The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket lifts off from launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Monday, July 18, 2016. The Falcon 9 is headed to the International Space Station with 5,000 pounds of supplies. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
As an extra treat, SpaceX brought its leftover first-stage booster back to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for a vertical touchdown—only the second such land landing for an orbital mission and the ultimate in recycling. Twin sonic booms rocked the moonlit night, old shuttle landing-style. The cosmic double-header got underway as the unmanned Falcon rocket streaked upward through the middle-of-the-night darkness, carrying 5,000 lb of food, experiments and equipment for the International Space Station. The orbiting outpost was soaring over the North Atlantic at liftoff.
The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket booster lands at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Monday, July 18, 2016 after a successful launch. The Falcon 9 is headed to the International Space Station with 5,000 pounds of supplies. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
It was SpaceX’s second shot at delivering a new-style docking port for NASA. The last one went up in smoke over the Atlantic last year, a rocket accident casualty. NASA needs this new docking setup at the space station before Americans can fly there in crew capsules set to debut next year. SpaceX is building astronaut-worthy versions of its Dragon cargo ships, while Boeing—which makes these docking ports—is working on a crew capsule called Starliner. The pair would dock to this ring and another due to fly in a year. The Dragon and its latest shipment are due Wednesday at the 250-mile-high outpost.
SpaceX brought its leftover first-stage booster back just a couple miles from where it lifted off 8 minutes earlier. The company has now pulled off 5 vertical booster landings since December, 3 on an ocean platform and 2 on land. Elon Musk wants to refly his rockets to shave launch costs. The boosters normally are ditched at sea. The company hopes to launch its first recovered rocket this fall.
During a time exposure the Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket is seen, left, as it lifts off from launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Monday, July 18, 2016. The streak on the right is the booster landing back at the Air Force Station. The Falcon 9 is headed to the International Space Station with 5,000 pounds of supplies. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The 2 Americans on the 6-person station crew will perform a spacewalk in August to hook up the new docking ring, about 5 feet across and 3 1/2 feet tall. Another port—cobbled together from spare parts—will replace the one lost in the June 2015 launch accident.
NASA went with private companies to supply the space station in the wake of the shuttle retirement 5 years ago this week. The next step will be launching NASA astronauts from U.S. soil; for now, Americans are hitching rides on Russian rockets. Russia, meanwhile, also has a supply ship on the way. Launched over the weekend, it’s due there Monday night.
http://phys.org/news/2016-07-spacex-space-station-docking-port_1.htmljCp
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