COTS Demo Flight 3

Artist rendering of SpaceX Dragon spacecraft delivering cargo to the International Space Station. Credit NASA

Dragon C3, also known as COTS Demo Flight 3 (COTS 3), is a proposed third test-flight for SpaceX's unpiloted Dragon cargo spacecraft, and the fourth overall flight of the company's two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle.^[1] Originally, this flight was intended to be Dragon's first mission to dock with the International Space Station (ISS), as part of NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Phase 1 contract.^[2] Following a July 15, 2011 meeting between SpaceX and NASA officials, the COTS 3 mission objectives were tentatively combined with the proposed COTS 2 demonstration flight, due to the Falcon 9's two previously successful launches, and the Space Transportation System's shuttle fleet recently being retired.^[3] As of July 27, there is currently no information regarding the new mission's official designation.

With the merging of the Dragon C2 and Dragon C3 missions, the Dragon C2/C3 launch preliminarily is scheduled for November 30, 2011 from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40).^[3] The mission's primary objectives include demonstrating a remotely-controlled space rendezvous and docking with the ISS.^[4] After leaving the ISS, the spacecraft will perform a controlled de-orbit burn to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, and SpaceX will attempt recovery after a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.^[2]

References

1. ^ Svitak, Amy (2011-04-04). "New Test Plan Paves Way for Combined SpaceX COTS Demo". Space News. Springfield, Virginia, USA: Imaginova Corp. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. http://www.webcitation.org/60U0qVa5W. Retrieved 2011-07-27. 
2. ^ ^{a b} SpaceX Media Staff (2011). "Dragon Overview". Hawthorne, CA, USA: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php. Retrieved 2011-07-27. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Space News Staff (2011-07-22). "NASA Tentatively Approves Combining SpaceX Flights". Space News. Springfield, Virginia, USA: Imaginova Corp. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. http://www.webcitation.org/60Ts8J1k9. Retrieved 2011-07-22. 
4. ^ Clark, Stephen (2011-07-25). "Hired private cargo ships booked to visit space station". Spaceflight Now. Tonbridge, Kent, United Kingdom: Spaceflight Now Inc.. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. http://www.webcitation.org/60Tbd1Blh. Retrieved 2011-07-26. 

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