SpaceX Falcon rocket developments

[Rick]

From  http://twitter.com/SpaceXer

  1. SpaceX is the first commercial company to reenter a spacecraft from space! less than 20 seconds ago via web
   2. SPLASHDOWN!!! less than a minute ago via web
   3. THREE MAIN PARACHUTES DEPLOYED!!!! 10 minutes ago via web
   4. drogue chutes deployed 13 minutes ago via web
   5. NASA The Dragon spacecraft's main chute is scheduled to deploy in about 20-minutes. 32 minutes ago via CoTweet Retweeted by SpaceXer and 40 others
   6. Dragon is in reentry attitude 42 minutes ago via web
   7. De-orbit burn complete! 42 minutes ago via web
   8. looking good about 1 hour ago via web
   9. 4 Draco thrusters performing deorbit burn now. about 1 hour ago via web
  10. View from Dragon's onboard camera as it orbits the Earth. 3/3 http://twitpic.com/3e3t01 about 2 hours ago via Twitpic
  11. View from Dragon's onboard camera as it orbits the Earth. 2/3 http://twitpic.com/3e3sxo about 2 hours ago via Twitpic
  12. View from Dragon's onboard camera as it orbits the Earth. 1/3 http://twitpic.com/3e3stc about 2 hours ago via Twitpic
  13. Stage 1 recovery—they have telemetry and radar on one of the Talon Pods—boat steaming that way. about 2 hours ago via web
  14. P-Pods have been successfully deployed. about 2 hours ago via web
  15. Dragon is in orbit, communicating with TDRSS, performing maneuvers, operations nominal. about 2 hours ago via web
  16. Dragon performing nominally. about 2 hours ago via web

[Rick]

A private US capsule that could soon be hauling cargo and even astronauts to the space station has splashed down after its maiden flight.

The Dragon ship launched from Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket at 1543GMT (1043 EST) on Wednesday.

The capsule separated about 10 minutes after launch, reaching its 300km-high orbit shortly after.

After completing several manoeuvres some 300km above Earth, the capsule splashed down in the Pacific.

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11948329

[mickw]

Top secret payload carried in the Dragon

More: TopSecret

Ref:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3KBuQHHKx0

Seems even billionaires have a sense of humour 

They should have sent a parrot