During this time the story developed with these key points:
-The unmanned SpaceX Dragon that launched Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, has successfully completed all tests so far in preparation for the attempt to be the first private spacecraft to link to the space station
-Its solar arrays successfully deployed, provided power to the spacecraft.
-Dragon's thrusters fired, bringing the vehicle 2.4 kilometers (about a mile and a half) below the International Space Station
-If the unmanned shuttle successfully links up with the space station this morning, it will be the first time a private spacecraft has accomplished such a feat.
2. Newspaper (LA Times): The story was originally published on the LA times website on may 22nd 2012. The LA Times website has updated news about the SpaceX's flight 12 times. The story has appeared in the Breaking News category of the LA Times Home Page.
Some of the most important updates include:
-SpaceX's cone-shaped space capsule performed a series of delicate maneuvers around the International Space Station that proved to NASA officials that it's ready to move in for a historic docking attempt.
-The mission is considered the first test ofNASA's plan to outsource space missions to private companies now that its fleet of space shuttles is retired.
-The company, with about 1,800 employees, has a $1.6-billion contract to haul cargo in 12 flights to the space station for NASA. If the current test mission is successful, SpaceX will begin fulfilling the contract later this year.
-SpaceX's unmanned Dragon spacecraft was captured by the space station's 58-foot robotic arm by astronaut Don Pettit aboard the space station. The linkup took place about 250 miles above northwest Australia at 6:56 a.m. PDT.
Shown above is the distance between the SpaceX capsule and the International Space Station on thursday which was approximately 1.5 miles. (picture from LA Times.com)
3. Blog (SpaceX.com): I chose to follow the SpaceX website because they were bloging every update possible with blow by blow information on the Capsules flight. The blog update I was following was originally posted on May 22nd 2012. Which was the date of the take off of the SpaceX rocket. The blog had been updated 6 times.
The updates where all very informative:
- Only minutes after the spacecraft separated the falcon 9 rockets it's solar arrays deployed successfully, providing power to the spacecraft.
-Along with the door that cover the sensors, which help the spacecraft attach, came off.
-On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Dragon capsule used thrusters to catch up with the spacespation.
-Under this time the capsule had to do a series of test like GPS, Drifting, and full abort test.
-At 2AM friday the capsule was 1.4K from the station.
-At 6AM it attached successfully.
Above is a picture of the International space station astronauts watching the take off of Falcon 9.(photo credit: NASA)
4.Social media website (youtube) orignal poster SpaceX. The orignaly post was on the 22nd of May 2012 and the video was of the founders of Space X and the employees watching the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket. The channel updated two times with a video lasting an hour long giving a blow by blow on how the launch happened, what it means and whats happening in the future.
Of all the different channels I received my information on the SpaceX flight, I feel the blog from the SpaceX website was the most informative written type of news because the posts informed me on the exact functions and trials the capsule had to go through were LA Times did not explain as in-depth. The SpaceX YouTube channel was also much better than the CNN broadcasts because the news casters on the YouTube channel where actual Engineers and employees of the SpaceX company. They were able to breakdown the complex science of the Space exploration where CNN newscasters were only vaguely explaining the functions of the capsule.
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