Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-29-2018 10:28 AM
Please use this topic to discuss SpaceX's fifteenth Dragon cargo flight to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-29-2018 10:34 AM
From Alexander Gerst on the International Space Station (via Twitter):
Beautiful trail of SpaceX Dragon 15's launch this morning over Cape Canaveral. The unmanned cargo vehicle carries lots of research experiments for us up here on the International Space Station, including several European and German ones. And maybe also a few letters from my family.
oly Member
Posts: 905 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 06-29-2018 09:53 PM
SpaceX are beginning to make this look more like a regular scheduled service, but each launch is still an amazing sight. I was sent some photos taken from Melbourne, Florida showing the contrail light by the sun as the rocket climbed out.
SpaceX have also mastered the launch photography, with some spectacular footage. It would be nice to know how they do this.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-04-2018 10:02 PM
ESA video
This timelapse video shows still pictures taken from the International Space Station of the departing Dragon supply spacecraft. Played in quick succession the video displays faster than real life but in 4K resolution.
The Dragon spacecraft was released from the Station’s robotic arm at 18:38 GMT on 3 August 2018. Thrusters fired to increase its distance from the Space Station and the spacecraft started its deorbit and return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean less than seven hours after release.
The International Space Station flies at 28,800 km/h above our planet doing a complete orbit in around 90 minutes – during release operations the sun set and rose above the horizon many times. As Dragon faded into the distance it flew over a stormy part of Earth – lightning flashes can be seen many kilometres below.
Dragon is the only spacecraft that can return to Earth with scientific cargo aside from the Soyuz spacecraft that ferries astronauts to space and back – this flight carried over 1700 kg of cargo.