SpaceX Launches NASA Demonstration Mission to Space Station

May 22, 2012

Trent J. Perrotto
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0321
trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller@nasa.gov

Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
josh.byerly@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 12-161

SPACEX LAUNCHES NASA DEMONSTRATION MISSION TO SPACE STATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The second demonstration mission for NASA's
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program is under
way as SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifted off
Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 3:44 a.m.
EDT.

"I want to congratulate SpaceX for its successful launch and salute
the NASA team that worked alongside them to make it happen," NASA
Administrator Charles Bolden said. "Today marks the beginning of a
new era in exploration; a private company has launched a spacecraft
to the International Space Station that will attempt to dock there
for the first time. And while there is a lot of work ahead to
successfully complete this mission, we are certainly off to good
start. Under President Obama's leadership, the nation is embarking
upon an ambitious exploration program that will take us farther into
space than we have ever traveled before, while helping create
good-paying jobs right here in the United States of America."

The Dragon capsule will conduct a series of checkout procedures to
test and prove its systems, including the capability to rendezvous
and berth with the International Space Station. On Thursday, May 24,
Dragon will perform a flyby of the space station at a distance of
approximately 1.5 miles to validate the operation of sensors and
flight systems necessary for a safe rendezvous and approach. Live
NASA TV coverage beginning at 2:30 a.m.

Following analysis of the flyby by NASA and SpaceX managers, the
Dragon capsule will be cleared to rendezvous and berth with the space
station on Friday, May 25, marking the first time a commercial
company has attempted this feat. The Expedition 31 crew on board the
station will use the orbiting complex's robotic arm to capture Dragon
and install it on the bottom side of the Harmony node. NASA TV will
provide live coverage beginning at 2 a.m.

"This flight is an important milestone as NASA and SpaceX develop the
next generation of U.S. spacecraft to carry the critically important
experiments, payloads and supplies to our remarkable laboratory in
space," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA's
Human Exploration Operations Directorate at the agency's Headquarters
in Washington.

SpaceX and Orbital Sciences, which will perform its own test flight
later this year, have been working under NASA's COTS program, which
provides investments to stimulate the commercial space industry in
America. Once the companies have successfully completed their test
flights, they will begin delivering regular cargo shipments to the
station.

"NASA is working with private industry in an unprecedented way,
cultivating innovation on the path toward maintaining America's
leadership in space exploration," said Philip McAlister, director for
NASA's Commercial Spaceflight Development.

In parallel to COTS, NASA's Commercial Crew Program is helping spur
innovation and development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles from
the commercial industry to develop safe, reliable and cost-effective
capabilities to transport astronauts to low Earth orbit and the space
station.

NASA also is developing the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System
(SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket that will provide an
entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit.
Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo
missions, SLS and Orion will expand human presence beyond low Earth
orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system.


For up-to-date SpaceX mission information and a schedule of NASA TV
coverage, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacex


For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming
video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv


For more information about NASA's commercial space programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial


For an interactive overview of NASA's commercial space programs,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/commercializingspace


For an interactive overview of the future of American human
spaceflight, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/human_space


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