SpaceX Readies For Second Flight To The International Space Station

On Thursday, August 23, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden visited SpaceX’s main hangar at Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, FL to announce that SpaceX has officially entered NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program.

Under this program, SpaceX is contracted for 12 cargo resupply flights to the International Space Station. The company is currently preparing its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft for the first of these official cargo resupply flights, and is targeting an October launch from Cape Canaveral.

SpaceX’s move to official cargo resupply missions comes after its successful completion of all milestones under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. SpaceX made history this May when it became the first commercial company to deliver cargo to the space station, a demonstration mission that was part of its COTS milestones.