Astronauts aboard ISS (International Space Station) have captured the Dragon cargo ship after gaining a solution to a GPS location issue. The capture occurred almost a day later than planned. Next is the procedures beginning the process of receiving the Progress 66 supply ship launched on Wednesday.
While the International Space Station was traveling about 250 statute miles over the west coast of Australia, Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) captured Dragon a few minutes ahead of schedule at 5:44 a.m. EST.
NASA Television coverage of installation will begin at 8 a.m. Watch online at www.nasa.gov/live.
To join the online conversation about the International Space Station and Dragon on Twitter, follow @Space_Station and use #Dragon. For more information about the SpaceX CRS-10 mission, visit www.nasa.gov/spacex.
Earlier today, preparations were made to capture the Dragon cargo ship with the robotic arm.
The International Space Station and SpaceX Dragon flight control teams are proceeding toward rendezvous and grapple of an unpiloted Dragon cargo craft on Thursday, Feb. 23. NASA Television coverage has begun. Watch live at http://www.nasa.gov/live.
Grapple is expected around 6 a.m. Installation of the Dragon to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module will begin a couple hours later. NASA TV coverage of installation is set to begin at 8 a.m.
The Dragon launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Feb. 19. During the initial scheduled rendezvous on Wednesday morning, the spacecraft’s computers received an incorrect navigational update, which triggered an automatic wave off.
SpaceX CRS-10 is scheduled to deliver about 5,500 pounds of supplies and payloads to the station, including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 50 and 51.
Preparations are being made for the next capture of the Progress 66 cargo ship that has launched from Kazakhstan.
NASA and SpaceX flight controllers in Houston and Hawthorne, California are reworking plans for the arrival Thursday of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft after its rendezvous to the International Space Station was aborted early Wednesday morning. The Dragon’s computers received an incorrect navigational update, triggering an automatic wave off.
Dragon was sent on a “racetrack” trajectory in front of, above and behind the station for a second rendezvous attempt Thursday. Dragon is in excellent shape and neither the crew nor the station were in any danger. NASA TV will cover its second rendezvous attempt Thursday beginning at 4 a.m. EST.
Expedition 50 commander Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet will be back in the cupola Thursday waiting to capture Dragon at around 6 a.m. Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson will be assisting the duo monitoring Dragon’s arrival and its systems.
A few hours before Dragon aborted its rendezvous, Russia launched its Progress 66 (66P) resupply ship from Kazakhstan on a two-day trip to the station’s Pirs docking compartment. The 66P is carrying nearly three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the six-member Expedition 50 crew. It will arrive Friday for an automated docking at 3:34 a.m. and stay at the station until June. NASA TV will also cover its arrival starting at 2:45 a.m.
The following is an article insert from earlier regarding the Dragon cargo ship and its contents:
The International Space Station and SpaceX Dragon flight control teams are proceeding toward rendezvous and grapple of an unpiloted Dragon cargo craft on Thursday, Feb. 23. NASA Television coverage has begun. Watch live at http://www.nasa.gov/live.
Grapple is expected around 6 a.m. Installation of the Dragon to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module will begin a couple hours later. NASA TV coverage of installation is set to begin at 8 a.m.
The Dragon launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Feb. 19. During the initial scheduled rendezvous on Wednesday morning, the spacecraft’s computers received an incorrect navigational update, which triggered an automatic wave off.
SpaceX CRS-10 is scheduled to deliver about 5,500 pounds of supplies and payloads to the station, including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 50 and 51.
Written By: Mark Garcia NASA
UNIVERSAL DIGEST is pleased to be a conduit for some of NASA’s projects and work. This article and some others were written by NASA and are mostly unedited. We do not claim credit, we simply want to make them more available to the general public.
Please note: When multiple articles are published regarding singular/similar events during a specific time period, Universal Digest will combine detail into one article. This is still mostly unedited material written by the same author.