SpaceX Falcon 9 ready to go to the International Space Station: CEO
Monday, December 13, 2010 at 04:26PM 
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), is ready to go to the International Space Station, according to Elon Musk, the company's CEO and chief technical officer. He made the comment after two near-perfect Falcon 9 launches, orbits and parachute landing of its first Dragon capsule. Falcon 9 and the Dragon capsule are part of an international fleet of Russian, European and Japanese cargo ships that NASA intends to rely on to keep the space station manned after its own space shuttles retire.
Musk said he will ask NASA to permit a docking at the station during its next flight, targeted for mid-2011. If successful, SpaceX would be ready to begin station cargo runs, under a separate 12-flight, $1.6-billion NASA launch services contract, before the end of 2011.
“I feel highly confident that we can go to the space station on our next flight and that we can do so by approximately the middle of next year. It’s really a relatively small delta between this vehicle and the one that will go to station,” Musk said.
Dragon orbited the earth twice, executing a pre-programmed series of maneuvers and systems checks that would be needed for an ISS rendezvous and docking. Then, as Dragon soared over Australia, the spacecraft fired four of its 18 Draco thrusters for 6 min. to de-orbit and plunge back into the atmosphere on a 12-deg. angle of attack.
SpaceX has spent more than $600 million of its own funds for Falcon and Dragon development, added President Gwynne Shotwell and, more significantly, is on the hook to cover any unexpected expenses in its quest for more affordable access to space. “If we overrun this program, we have to come up with the money through investment to cover the cost, which is dramatically different from taxpayers funding cost-type contracts where, if the contractor overruns, taxpayers have to pay the overruns. That is not the case for this program,” Shotwell said. “I think that’s exactly why this program was set up that way—to limit the government’s exposure.”
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