John Raoux/APThe SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off the coast of AF Wednesday rocket Cape Canaveral in Florida.
A company called SpaceX has provided eye Wednesday coup in the future of the US space program. Rocket company, Falcon 9, departed cap Aviation Canaveral Florida, carrying a space called Dragon capsule. After the two times the Earth orbit the capsule Dragon splashed in the Pacific Ocean.
In the future, the dragon - or something very it - is intended to transport supplies and finally astronauts to the international space station, adopting the role of NASA's space shuttle.
Once the last shuttle retired next year, NASA plans to rely on private enterprises to take cargo and finally the astronauts in space. To encourage businesses to get on board, the Agency decided to try something new: instead of the giants of the aerospace, NASA invited in smaller, entrepreneurial propose new systems companies launch.
New model of partnership
A conference press earlier this week, Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX, explained how his company was able to move discussions to launch in just four years.
"We have to cycle the mother may I with a large number of organizations", she says. "We have basically a set of performance requirements that we have struck."
Shotwell, stated that the new model of partnership also has advantages for taxpayers.
"If we saturation of this program, we have to find investment money to cover the costs - which is radically different from taxpayer financing type cost," she says.
Type cost contracts, taxpayers are on the hook of exceedances.
The Wednesday launch was the first time, a private company tried to put a space capsule orbiting and make it safely to Earth. At the pre-launch press conference, Phil McAlister NASA took care to remind reporters that the Wednesday launch was part of a test program.
"Space flight is very, very difficult", he said. "And if history is a guide, it is without a doubt will be a few anomalies while we go through the test program."
A milestone
But a beautiful sunny Wednesday morning in Florida, the countdown seemed to go swimmingly.
And then, difficulty: slightly less than three minutes before take-off, telemetry indicates a problem with a security launch system. Turns, faulty telemetry - not the security system. If the team of SpaceX launch regrouped and tried again. This time, is there no hitches.
Falcon 9 climbed through the blue sky and wispy clouds on the dashboard. As the flight progressed, the word "face" has been used much - which means that nothing happens to side of what is expected. After nine minutes, the second engine status closed.
On this flight, the dragon capsule had no cargo - just navigation systems and maneuvers that he will be in the future. Three and a half hours after takeoff, dragon capsule landed safely in the Pacific Ocean.
Administrator of NASA Charles Bolden said Wednesday launch was a milestone in the history of spaceflight.
"Not because it is something that we have not done before," said Bolden. "" "" "But it represents the entry of commercial entities of non-governmental entities, access to space".
And for the moment, this is the direction that the US space program will.
With the shuttle program ending this year, Obama administration wants the private sector to take in charge the transport to the international space station. This controversial decision drew criticism from several icons space, including Neil Armstrong. SpaceX, a private company has a contract with NASA for its Falcon 9 rocket allows transporting cargo to the station. If the test Falcon 9 launch is a success, it could facilitate doubts as to the resumption of private flights. Here, a look at some of the structural differences between the shuttle NASA and new the SpaceX Falcon 9.
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