First Successful US Private Commercial Spacecraft Launch

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-05-25 11:39

"Looks like we got us a Dragon by the tail," Pettit confirmed.

http://www.latimes.com/business/mone...,7788437.story

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-05-25 16:21

Here's the Space Station from the POV of Dragon's infrared camera:

http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net...z4rZ5%7EFyPtY_

and the docking

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wi...at-station.png

gotcha bitch

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wi...gon-on-arm.jpg

**Eurell** · 2012-05-25 16:25

I know noones really responding, but please keep posting. Shit's pretty awesome.

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-05-25 17:16

Someone light the Woozango signal

**Gadritan** · 2012-05-25 17:23

I can't seem to get over seeing "Canada," on something in space.

**Boyiee** · 2012-05-25 17:47

Originally Posted by Gadritan

I can't seem to get over seeing "Canada," on something in space.

It just happens to be RIGHT THERE perfectly in focus of the camera

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-05-25 17:58

http://bighugelabs.com/output/motiva...b3396a7591.jpg

**Gadritan** · 2012-05-25 18:25

omg. Perfect.

**Cail** · 2012-05-25 18:41

loving these pics...since i was a kid, ive always been into space and love looking at pics of stuff going on

**Mizango** · 2012-05-25 21:10

Originally Posted by archibaldcrane

Someone light the Woozango signal

I came a runnin babycakes

Great pics, great everything Archie!

**Kurokikaze** · 2012-05-26 09:50

Those pics are so fucking badass. Thanks. O_O

**Cantih** · 2012-05-26 10:33

Does anybody have a comparison of the average price of the Space Shuttle launch to the ISS, to the price of this Dragon launch?

**Eliseos** · 2012-05-26 12:29

Originally Posted by Cantih

Does anybody have a comparison of the average price of the Space Shuttle launch to the ISS, to the price of this Dragon launch?

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=33457 lists average costs of a SpaceX trip to the ISS as about $130 million, this interview with Elon Musk sort of confirms that and lists a space shuttle mission at about a billion. I've heard anywhere from $500 million to a billion, in either case it's much cheaper.

Edit: A soyuz cab ride for our astronauts costs about $114 million for only three passengers, Dragon can hold up to seven.

Also serious science-boner at those launch pics. Awesome.

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-05-31 17:17

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...52854390_n.jpg
The dragon has landed.

**Pirian** · 2012-05-31 18:21

Originally Posted by Eliseos

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=33457 lists average costs of a SpaceX trip to the ISS as about $130 million, this interview with Elon Musk sort of confirms that and lists a space shuttle mission at about a billion. I've heard anywhere from $500 million to a billion, in either case it's much cheaper.

Edit: A soyuz cab ride for our astronauts costs about $114 million for only three passengers, Dragon can hold up to seven.

Also serious science-boner at those launch pics. Awesome.

I wonder what the initial start up costs were like. I know the government was helping them out with that part, but the costs not associated with each individual launch have to be pretty far up there, too

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-05-31 18:52

Also

SpaceX has a contract valued at $1.6 billion for a dozen resupply flights to the station. The work was contingent on successful demonstration of the technology.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...#ixzz1wUiaE13a

So yeah $130M a trip or so for supplies. They're looking at sending astronauts in 3-4 years.

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-05-31 18:57

Also
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...VaVxsVvOEGir_Q

**Pirian** · 2012-05-31 18:58

Originally Posted by archibaldcrane

Also

So yeah $130M a trip or so for supplies. They're looking at sending astronauts in 3-4 years.
[/COLOR][/LEFT]

I think they're assuming costs are going to come down for each trip, because this only leaves them with 40million profit <.< or 3 and 1/3 million per trip. That's a 2.56% profit/cost ratio >.> that's grocery store levels without the volume

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-05-31 19:15

I don't think SpaceX is necessarily supposed to be a hugely profitable venture right off the bat - when you've got that eccentric billionaire thing going on like Elon Musk does, I think he's more interested in expanding humanity's horizons. Remember this is the same guy who backed the Tesla Roadster electric car.

His undergraduate degrees behind him, and drawing inspiration from innovators such as Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla,[10] Musk then considered three areas he wanted to get into that were "important problems that would most affect the future of humanity", as he said later, "One was the Internet, one was clean energy, and one was space".

So, yeah - made his billions with Paypal, now he's onto his pet projects of space, electric cars and solar power (he is also the Chairman of SolarCity).

**Mizango** · 2012-05-31 20:20

Illusive man.

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