http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/ ... ce-station

So, second attempt at launching this mission after a faulty valve caused a high pressure cutoff on the first attempt (and numerous postponements before that), but everything seems to have worked perfectly today. Successful orbit, separation, and deployment of the capsule's solar panels (the panels are a first, but a Dragon has been put into orbit before). Now they're headed for the station itself, with some demonstration/testing manoeuvres to be followed by docking.

Anybody else watch the launch live on NASA TV or SpaceX's own feed this morning?

That was today? Stupid newspaper typos, I thought it was only a practice run. Eh, I was working on a printing press all morning, I wouldn't have been able to watch it.

It doesn't make this any less cool, though. :D

It was 3:44am EDT this morning, so not the most convenient timing ever for watching it for most people...

Considering an unusual amount of people think that a good time to set off fireworks (holiday weekend), I was probably up anyway...

And I missed the solar eclipse that was visible here on Sunday. :(

FuzzyLobster wrote:Considering an unusual amount of people think that a good time to set off fireworks (holiday weekend), I was probably up anyway...

And I missed the solar eclipse that was visible here on Sunday. :(

Yeah, the sun already set for us eh? I don't think we'll see another for a very long time.

Back to the topic, I wonder how is it that a commercial company gathered enough scientific talent to do such a thing with all the national space agencies hogging all the talent. I'm sure that there must have been collaboration, but it's still tremendous, this event.

NASA's laid off a lot of people. SpaceX hired a lot of then. Plus a lot of young blood.

Well, good for them.

Nero wrote:Yeah, the sun already set for us eh? I don't think we'll see another for a very long time.

Oh it did? Well, that's the last time I listen to my dad. :P On the plus side it means I no longer feel guilty.

As for the next eclipse: October 23, 2014 Gives me a good excuse to visit Vancouver, if I'm not totally broke by then.

And it's landed now.

Yup. Mission successful in every sense. The only problem they had was that minor glitch with the laser rangefinder getting confused by reflections when they were coming in to dock, and they fixed that pretty easily.