Washington, D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation congratulates Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and NASA for their successful launch of the Dragon spacecraft this evening from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dragon was launched atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket for the first of twelve Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) missions contracted to NASA. Dragon is carrying approximately 1,000 pounds of critical supplies, including food, water, scientific experiments and Space Station parts. In the next three days, Dragon will perform systems checks, and start a series of Draco thruster firings to reach the International Space Station, where it will spend the duration of its mission before splashing down on October 29.
CSF President Michael Lopez-Alegria stated, “SpaceX and NASA should be commended for their success in the launch today. As commercial spaceflight becomes familiar, we shouldn’t forget the difficulty of the task being addressed by the private sector. This is the third successful launch of the Dragon spacecraft and the fourth consecutive successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX’s hard work, dedication and its incredible partnership with NASA should be commended. Congratulations to the entire team at SpaceX and NASA for their successful launch and I look forward to seeing many more under the CRS program.”
About Commercial Resupply Services
NASA awarded two contracts for transportation services to Space Exploration Technologies and Orbital Sciences Corporation in December 2008. The Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contracts procured a total of 20 cargo transportation missions to the ISS through 2015 and are managed by the ISS Transportation Office.
About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director Alex Saltman at saltman@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.
