SpaceX Launches to the ISS. Now What?

The routine part of SpaceX?s historic mission to the International Space Station is done.

This morning, Elon Musk?s company successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket. But while launching a rocket to deposit a capsule into orbit is not easy (Saturday?s last-second launchpad abort was a reminder of that) the Falcon 9?s liftoff was not the milestone of this mission. Indeed, it was the third consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch and the fifth straight launch success for SpaceX. The truly nerve-racking parts are coming over the course of the week, as the private company tries to become the first commercial company to dock with the ISS.

First comes the chase. The Dragon capsule, solar panels open, will orbit the planet for a few days as it makes a number of engine burns to catch up with the station. No craft is allowed near the ISS without a battery of tests to show that the crew is in control and the capsule won?t crash into the station, so the flight will be marked by a series of such demonstrations by SpaceX, such as testing the Dragon?s GPS system and showing off its ability to veer away from the station if the docking procedure were to go awry.

The third day of the mission, Dragon?s engines will flare and bring the craft to about 1.5 miles beneath the station. Once it?s there, the ISS crew will communicate with the capsule and give it come simple commands, such as turning on a strobe light, to ensure this link works correctly before the docking procedure, scheduled for May 25. If all goes well, the Dragon will scoot away to about 5 miles beneath the ISS and wait for the big show.

As the capsule moves closer to the station, the tests come faster. The laser-radar range finding needs to be tested, as does the capsule?s ability to accelerate and brake on command. As it passes these tests, the SpaceX capsule is allowed to go to incrementally closer hold points. Finally, the Dragon will be allowed to enter the hallowed Keep Out Sphere, an imaginary circle drawn 566 feet around the station. Dragon will stop at just 98 feet from ISS, hold, and?if the final docking is given a "go"?proceed to just 32 feet from the fragile, irreplaceable space station.

ISS crew member Don Pettit will use the station?s 57-foot robotic arm to reach out and grapple the Dragon spacecraft and berth it. Between May 26 and 31 the crew will unload the cargo?food, clothes, a laptop, and a couple of racks for science experiments. On May 31 the Dragon will detach and return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific under three parachutes. Only then will the mission be declared a success and the commercial space age truly under way.

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