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  Covers flown on U.S. commercial cargo craft

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Author Topic:   Covers flown on U.S. commercial cargo craft
Tom
Member

Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-27-2012 10:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tom   Click Here to Email Tom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Recent launches of Europe's ATV spacecraft carried covers that were returned to Earth by STS-126 and STS-135 and made available to collectors.

Anyone know if similar covers are aboard Dragon? Thank you.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 05-27-2012 10:40 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There are no covers aboard Dragon's COTS-2 demo flight. The contents of the Official Flight Kit can be read here.

eurospace
Member

Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 05-27-2012 03:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for eurospace   Click Here to Email eurospace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Covers and cards flown to the ISS with the recent ATV-3 "Edoardo Amaldi" freighter will probably return to Earth with the Dragon.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 05-27-2012 05:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The return cargo manifest has been published and it is possible that the covers could be included with the "crew preference items, official flight kit items" listed. I may be able to get confirmation before the Dragon returns.

cosmos-walter
Member

Posts: 691
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 10-27-2012 06:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for cosmos-walter   Click Here to Email cosmos-walter     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
On May 22, 2012 Dragon C2 was launched on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from the SpaceX launch pad at Cape Canaveral. On May 25, 2012 it docked with ISS being the first commercial space vehicle to reach a space station. No mail was among 460 kg freight the unmanned capsule delivered into ISS.

On May 31, 2012 Dragon C2 landed in the sea 900 km southwest of Baja California near the coast of Mexico. The capsule was recovered by American Islander. Via the harbor of Los Angeles Dragon returned to SpaceX factory at McGregor in Texas. 660 kg freight was delivered to NASA.

Cosmonauts sent a few letters to their relatives and friends. They were confiscated, since no mail delivery was scheduled. Most likely they will be destroyed.

Thus congratulations of Gennady's wife Irina to her husband are the only space mail connected with Dragon C2. The card was sent from Star City post office on Dragon's docking day and reached ISS with Progress M-16M on August 2, 2012.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 10-27-2012 06:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by cosmos-walter:
They were confiscated, since no mail delivery was scheduled. Most likely they will be destroyed.
Confiscated by who?

Why would NASA or SpaceX confiscate personal mail from the cosmonauts?

cosmos-walter
Member

Posts: 691
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 10-28-2012 04:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cosmos-walter   Click Here to Email cosmos-walter     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Cosmonauts told me that all items sent from Dragon would not be returned. Everything is arrested and discarded. It’s not allowed.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 10-28-2012 05:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I can easily see why packing unplanned return cargo, even something as light as mail, on the Dragon, would not be allowed — especially by representatives of a country not paying for the commercial cargo service. But I have to wonder if the "arrested and discarded" claim is partially lost in translation and partly a deterrent to quash any ideas of using Dragon for such purposes.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 10-28-2012 06:16 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by eurospace:
Covers and cards flown to the ISS with the recent ATV-3 "Edoardo Amaldi" freighter will probably return to Earth with the Dragon.
The return cargo manifest for SpaceX's Dragon CRS-1 mission (splashing down Oct. 28) includes: ESA PAO [Public Affairs Office] items.

cosmos-walter
Member

Posts: 691
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 08-24-2014 04:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for cosmos-walter   Click Here to Email cosmos-walter     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Were ever covers or letters flown with Dragon or Cygnus?

Editor's note: Threads merged.

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