SpaceX Schedule for COTS Demo 1 Launch Day Activities

Hawthorne, CA – Today SpaceX released the following information on launch day activities for the first SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon demonstration launch for NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

Liftoff could occur as early as December 7th, with December 8th and 9th as backup days, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch window for all three days extends from 9:00 a.m. to 12:22 p.m. EST.

SpaceX plans to launch its Dragon spacecraft into low-Earth orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The Dragon capsule is expected to orbit the Earth at speeds greater than 17,000 miles per hour, reenter the Earth’s atmosphere, and land in the Pacific Ocean roughly 3 1/2 hours later. This will be the first attempt by a commercial company to recover a spacecraft reentering from low-Earth orbit. It is a feat performed by only 6 nations or government agencies: the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India, and the European Space Agency.

It is also the first flight under NASA’s COTS program to develop commercial supply services to the International Space Station. After the Space Shuttle retires, SpaceX will fly at least 12 missions to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Resupply Services contract for NASA. The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft were designed to one day carry astronauts; both the COTS and CRS missions will yield valuable flight experience toward this goal.

Webcast

The COTS Demo 1 launch will be webcast at www.spacex.com.

The webcast will begin approximately 45 minutes prior to the opening of the daily launch window, at 8:15 a.m. EST / 5:15 a.m. PST / 13:15 UTC. During the webcast, SpaceX hosts will provide information specific to the flight, an overview of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft and commentary on the launch and flight sequences.

NASA Sets Coverage For Cots 1 Launch Targeted For Dec. 7, NASA