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標題: [美洲] Embarrassment as private rocket due to carry Star Trek Scotty actor's ashes into space is cancelled just a SECOND before lift-off [打印本頁]

作者: vandas 時間: 2012-5-20 06:55 AM 標題: Embarrassment as private rocket due to carry Star Trek Scotty actor's ashes into space is cancelled just a SECOND before lift-off

She canna take it, Captain! Embarrassment as private rocket due to carry Star Trek Scotty actor's ashes into space is cancelled just a SECOND before lift-offtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb3 J$ J) y3 Z& u" M

Launch delayed after 'computer problems' on board commercial rocket
Trip is first time private firm have sent flight to International Space Station
Launch of $133m flight now delayed until Tuesday

A private space cargo firm's historic launch to the International Space Station descended into chaos this morning when the mission was abandoned just one second before lift-off.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb( A# l$ Y3 Y1 Y5 y& ] U/ d

The unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was set to blast off from Cape Canaveral just before 10am this morning (GMT) along with its Dragon capsule loaded with 1,000lbs of space station provisions.
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But with just seconds before the rocket took to the skies, apparent technical problems left it rooted to the launch pad, with lift-off subsequently abandoned for another three days.5.39.217.76' E* d$ M2 h) z( y3 T$ h; L

Abort: Live footage shows plumes shooting from the side of the Falcon 9, as its much anticipated launch was abandoned at the final second8 \/ R9 N. ]; m
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Delayed: SpaceX's ambitious space trip will now be postponed until Tuesday following the technical error this morningTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。0 c) p) ^3 S; X2 Y, E4 c
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The countdown reached all the way to practically zero Saturday morning for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. A NASA spokesman said the engine ignition sequence started, but there was an automatic shutdown by on-board computers.
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So instead of blasting off from Cape Canaveral on a delivery mission to the International Space Station, the rocket remained on its launch pad amid a cloud of engine exhaust. 公仔箱論壇% G' m1 [8 @; X+ q4 b1 Q
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The engine ignition sequence had started up, but there was an automatic shutdown by on-board computers. 公仔箱論壇9 X) q2 v: {' C1 ?: A
So instead of blasting off on a delivery mission to the space station, the rocket stayed on its launch pad amid a cloud of engine exhaust. TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。  E# `; C; L1 n2 n* d
The unfortunate delay caught even NASA's most seasoned launch commentator off guard.
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'... 3-2-1, zero, and liftoff,' announced commentator George Diller, his voice trailing as the rocket failed to budge. 'We've had a cutoff. Liftoff did not occur.' 5.39.217.76. X# b% k0 Q  \; L- t5 U; A/ d/ L

Billionaire rocket designer Elon Musk attributed the problem to slightly high combustion chamber pressure on engine No. 5. 'Will adjust limits for countdown in a few days,' he wrote via Twitter. 5.39.217.763 ]7 J# H% q* T, K9 G$ M) }
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Tuesday is the earliest that SpaceX can try again to send its cargo-laden Dragon capsule to the space station.

The California-based company - formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp. - is targeting every third day for a launch attempt to save fuel in case of rendezvous problems at the space station.
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Ready for launch: SpaceX's Falcon 9 sits on Pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station this morning as officials made final preparations for its launch
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Standing tall: Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft, pictured a day before its launch, are in the final stages of preparation for their historic flight
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Falcon 9's eventual launch will see it in the vicinity of the Space Station within two days, where it will complete practice manoeuvres before the docking takes place the next day.公仔箱論壇! H9 H, Y0 a( S7 u0 w( `$ |
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Only governments have completed such a feat to date, with the SpaceX voyage the first time such a voyage has been completed by a private firm.4 e( ?/ @2 ~/ s: P

Ferrying the Dragon capsule into space, the mission to the ISS will be to deliver 1,000 pounds of non-essential cargo after passing a series of test maneuvers over the course of three days.5.39.217.76  d6 q* Y& W+ ]) D$ Y
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If successful in its first-of-a kind mission, the company behind the venture SpaceX would collect the remaining payments on the $396 million contract it has with NASA and then enter into a $1.6 billion agreement for 11 more flights to the ISS.5.39.217.760 A3 {5 ~5 s& |. `5 {! Z

The first step in the commercialisation of space to non-governmental firms, SpaceX are hoping one day to deliver up to seven passengers to the ISS and other destinations in low-Earth orbit.

The Falcon 9 rocket suffers from an 'instantaneous launch window' which means that if they don't take off at the exact scheduled moment they will have to wait till 3.44 a.m on Tuesday for the pad and the ISS to line up again.

This will be the Falcon's third flight as SpaceX have already sent the projectile into space on two previous occasions., }+ P( |) `" f/ y) O

However, this mission from a private contractor is not without risk and could very well end in failure, something which SpaceX have been upfront and honest about.5.39.217.76. G9 u' u, w3 _3 M% `
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'Demonstration launches are conducted to determine potential issues so that they might be addressed and – by their very nature – carry a significant risk,' said a statement by the private space firm according to the Guardian.
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'All spaceflight is incredibly complicated, and this flight introduces a series of new challenges – it is only the third flight of the Falcon 9 rocket, the second of the Dragon capsule, and the first for a number of all-new components necessary to berth with the International Space Station.
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'If any aspect of the mission is not successful, SpaceX will learn from the experience and try again.'/ O4 B  u5 m  A8 a* R1 n% M! D

If all goes well though on the next launch, Falcon 9 will carry the Dragon capsule into space and match orbits with the ISS.

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Launch of Falcon 9 Flight 1 from the SpaceX launch pad at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2010
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The full flight-ready Falcon 9 (left and right) with Dragon capsule onboard stands on the launch pad at SLC-40, Cape Canaveral, Florida

There it will go through a series of tests and will pass around one and a half miles below the station to see if its controls are testing properly.5.39.217.76+ U. E8 K- U5 i

If that checks out OK, the ISS will allow the Dragon capsule to within 10 feet and pull it in for docking all the while traveling at 17,500 mph.
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Staying on board the space station for a week and a half, it will then be re-loaded and sent back to Earth where it will land in the Pacific and be retrieved.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb: `4 K0 y/ F! b/ y( g

The launch and subsequent mission will be nerve racking for SpaceX and Elon Musk, the PayPal entrepreneur who founded the space exploration firm.6 w" ^9 A/ a" ?4 f

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An artists view of the space station's robotic arm reaching out to grab SpaceX's Dragon capsule which will happen if all goes according to plan after this Saturday's launch

'We have to allow for the fact that this is an extremely complex and tough flight. It's a test flight, not a standard milk run,' said Alan Stern, a U.S aerospace consultant and former associate administrator in charge of science at Nasa according to the New York Times.

'Elon Musk and SpaceX have a tremendous track record, and when Falcon 1 failed, they stuck with it and made it work.公仔箱論壇: e2 [* D3 a5 Y
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'They will have a failure again, because everyone does, but a test flight is a learning experience.
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SpaceX tested the Dragon capsules ability to parachute safely (left) and to splash down in the Pacific (right)

'Regardless of how successful the flight is, whether it's complete or partial, it's a big step forward. This is a sea change.'

Originally, the plan was for SpaceX and their capsule to have docked with the ISS by 2009.: D8 k5 n- d' ^3 _& p. p( [& U. z/ z; r
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'Certainly, we would have hoped to have been further ahead,' said Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX to the New York Times.9 S7 _; l$ K5 g: ?
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'But I wouldn’t have expected that with great confidence.'
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LAUNCH FAILURE ALSO DISAPPOINTS FAMILY OF STAR TREK'S 'SCOTTY'+ x5 I! V! l: S; {7 b/ ~6 }

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Amid the chaos of SpaceX's delayed Falcon launch, there was also disappointment for another secret mission the rocket was due to perform - sending James 'Scotty from Star Trek' Doohan and 307 other people's ashes into orbit.
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Having failed to launch the Star Trek acting legend's remains into orbit in August 2008 when Space X's Falcon 1 exploded after take-off, this is the second attempt to put a seven gram capsule of his ashes into space.

But friends and relatives of Doohan, who died in 2005 aged 85, who gathered at Cape Canaveral will have to wait until Tuesday for the next attempt after Falcon 9 stalled on lift-off.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。9 {! s0 i* @. y9 @; z1 |- K" _" [4 @5 h, Q
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Paying a minimum of $2,995 to Celestis, Doohan and 307 other people's capsules will be launched from the Falcon 9 rocket nine minutes into the flight.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb' Y- ] o0 R; E+ s. r
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Once there Doohans capsule will begin a decaying orbit of the Earth that will last between 10 to 240 years, 'until it reenters the atmosphere, harmlessly vapourising like a shooting star.'

作者: vandas 時間: 2012-5-20 08:05 AM

商用飛船出征揭民營太空時代
今日清晨發射赴太空站

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由美國私人公司「太空探索技術」(SpaceX)開發的太空船「飛龍」號(Dragon)，預定今日清晨升空，前往國際太空站進行補給任務，有望成為史上首架抵達國際太空站的私人開發太空船，為民營太空運輸年代揭開序幕。2 J# B5 y. C, `" U$ d
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無人太空貨船「飛龍」號將於今日清晨4時55分，在美國佛州卡納維拉爾角空軍基地，搭乘同為SpaceX開發的「獵鷹9」運載火箭升空。
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若發射成功，「飛龍」號將於3天後飛抵國際太空站下方約2.5公里的軌道，之後太空站與「飛龍」號會精準調校至同樣以每90分鐘繞地球一圈的速度飛行，確保兩者同步前進。* P  r9 g& w# N0 u) P! q5 b! P
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執行太空站補給任務
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「飛龍」號會在升空後第4天，嘗試與太空站進行對接，屆時站內的太空人會利用機械臂，嘗試抓住「飛龍」號，協助它停靠。
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成功對接後，太空人會卸下「飛龍」號上的補給物資，以及一個由學生製作的太空實驗組，並陸續裝載需運回地球的物品。「飛龍」號會在太空停留約兩周，其後便會重返地球，預計在加州對開的太平洋降落。5.39.217.762 M$ M; u* T% ^

奧巴馬政府為減省開支，去年宣布結束歷史長達30年的穿梭機計劃，讓所有穿梭機退役，改為推動太空總署(NASA)與多家私人企業合作，研發民營商用太空飛船及火箭，發展「太空的士」計劃，為國際太空站運載補給物資，填補穿梭機停飛後美國太空運輸的真空。
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NASA曾與SpaceX簽訂16億美元合約，合作開發載人及載貨太空船，今次「飛龍」號升空任務，正是太空的士計劃的一次試驗。5.39.217.769 ^) z& d- l$ i% i: z6 {
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太空專家洛格斯登(John Logsdon)稱，各界對今次升空期望甚殷，儘管只是一次試飛，但如果失敗，選擇結束穿梭機計劃、展開民營航天的NASA將承受嚴重後果。

火箭成本較太空總署低五成

SpaceX目前正與波音、Orbital Science、BlueOrigin等企業展開航天工具開發戰。2010年，SpaceX成為首家成功將太空艙發射至地球軌道的企業，並成功以17億美元，開發搭載火箭「獵鷹9」，分析數據顯示，如NASA開發同樣的火箭，成本需40億，意即SpaceX可便宜逾五成，為未來發展更便宜的太空運輸工具帶來突破。
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專家指出，SpaceX在這場商場競賽中暫時領先，若今次任務成功，將令SpaceX進一步拋離對手，否則可能影響它在2015年發射7人太空船的大計。TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。9 v6 v6 _# y4 }3 x& I

雖然國會早前要求NASA選擇集中資助單一企業，以減低投資失敗帶來的財務風險，但NASA強調，競爭對航天工具發展不可或缺。(法新社/路透社/MSNBC)
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圖為SpaceX構想的「飛龍」（下方者）與太空站接合後的情。（網上圖片）

明報
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