Engines roar to life (above) as a Falcon 9 rocket begins a journey to space that will send the Dragon capsule on a cargo run to the
International Space Station. The rocket clears the pad (below) as it rises above the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean. Photos: Anthony Fitch
“3…2…1…
and liftoff
of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon,
SpaceX continues America’s mission to
re-supply the International Space Station
from U.S. soil.”
In 2006, SpaceX, a private rocket and spacecraft
development company led by Elon Musk, began
plowing the path for a new generation of spaceflight,
with the launch of the Falcon 1 rocket. In June 2010,
with the conclusion of the Shuttle era around the corner,
its successor, Falcon 9, stood upon the launchpad
poised to make its grand entrance into the aerospace
world. The Falcon family
was introducing itself,
one test flight at a time.
I was a witness to the
Falcon 9 taking its maiden
flight that day, and I was
immediately enchanted
with this ‘little company
that could’.
The sound of the launch
being broadcast on the
radio filled the air. As the
countdown came to an
end, I watched the Falcon
9 come to life as it lifted up
and away from my view. It
was a monumental event
for SpaceX and several successful landmark missions
would soon follow this historic moment.
In December 2010, the Dragon, a reusable
spacecraft designed to eventually carry crew and
cargo, was launched aboard the Falcon 9. It was then
20
20
safely returned back to the ground, making SpaceX
the first commercial company to effectively carry
out the launch and recovery of a spacecraft. On
another demonstration flight in May 2012, Dragon was
delivered to orbit again by the Falcon 9 to berth with
the International Space Station, be opened by the ISS
crew and emptied of the supplies inside, then detach
and return safely to Earth. The completed mission was
a flawless display of Dragon’s capability.
In October 2012, Dragon would be delivered again
to the ISS, this time on its first official cargo re-supply
mission (CRS-1). This was the first of 12 re-supply missions
SpaceX was awarded by NASA. Though a problem
occurred when one of the first stage engines shut down
on the Falcon 9, its primary job of delivering Dragon
safely into orbit after adjusting its flight path was still
accomplished. It again
successfully berthed to
the ISS, and remained
attached until it returned
to Earth, landing in the
Pacific Ocean.
On March 1, 2013, I had
the privilege of witnessing
the second commercial
re-supply mission (CRS-2)
from 525 feet above the
ground. From the top of
the roof of the Vehicle
Assembly Building, with
the wind whipping the
chilly air around, Launch
Complex 40 was bathed
in the late morning sunlight when intermittent cloud
cover was forgiving. Falcon 9 stood proud with Dragon,
ready to fly. Though the rocket is on the smaller side,
it has a powerful presence. As Shakespeare wrote,
“Though she be but little, she is fierce!”
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