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Author
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Topic: Covers flown on U.S. commercial cargo craft
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Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 05-27-2012 10:34 AM
   
Recent launches of Europe's ATV spacecraft carried covers that were returned to Earth by STS-126 and STS-135 and made available to collectors.Anyone know if similar covers are aboard Dragon? Thank you. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-27-2012 10:40 AM
There are no covers aboard Dragon's COTS-2 demo flight. The contents of the Official Flight Kit can be read here. |
eurospace
Member Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 05-27-2012 03:40 PM
Covers and cards flown to the ISS with the recent ATV-3 "Edoardo Amaldi" freighter will probably return to Earth with the Dragon. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-27-2012 05:07 PM
The return cargo manifest has been published and it is possible that the covers could be included with the "crew preference items, official flight kit items" listed. I may be able to get confirmation before the Dragon returns. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 691
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 10-27-2012 06:30 PM
On May 22, 2012 Dragon C2 was launched on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from the SpaceX launch pad at Cape Canaveral. On May 25, 2012 it docked with ISS being the first commercial space vehicle to reach a space station. No mail was among 460 kg freight the unmanned capsule delivered into ISS. On May 31, 2012 Dragon C2 landed in the sea 900 km southwest of Baja California near the coast of Mexico. The capsule was recovered by American Islander. Via the harbor of Los Angeles Dragon returned to SpaceX factory at McGregor in Texas. 660 kg freight was delivered to NASA. Cosmonauts sent a few letters to their relatives and friends. They were confiscated, since no mail delivery was scheduled. Most likely they will be destroyed. Thus congratulations of Gennady's wife Irina to her husband are the only space mail connected with Dragon C2. The card was sent from Star City post office on Dragon's docking day and reached ISS with Progress M-16M on August 2, 2012.  
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-27-2012 06:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by cosmos-walter:
They were confiscated, since no mail delivery was scheduled. Most likely they will be destroyed.
Confiscated by who?Why would NASA or SpaceX confiscate personal mail from the cosmonauts? |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 691
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 10-28-2012 04:32 AM
Cosmonauts told me that all items sent from Dragon would not be returned. Everything is arrested and discarded. It’s not allowed. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-28-2012 05:53 AM
I can easily see why packing unplanned return cargo, even something as light as mail, on the Dragon, would not be allowed — especially by representatives of a country not paying for the commercial cargo service. But I have to wonder if the "arrested and discarded" claim is partially lost in translation and partly a deterrent to quash any ideas of using Dragon for such purposes. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-28-2012 06:16 AM
quote:
Originally posted by eurospace:
Covers and cards flown to the ISS with the recent ATV-3 "Edoardo Amaldi" freighter will probably return to Earth with the Dragon.
The return cargo manifest for SpaceX's Dragon CRS-1 mission (splashing down Oct. 28) includes: ESA PAO [Public Affairs Office] items. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 691
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 08-24-2014 04:58 PM
Were ever covers or letters flown with Dragon or Cygnus?Editor's note: Threads merged. |
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