Space Exploration Technologies has passed its systems requirements review with NASA for its third Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) programme phase one demonstration flight, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2009.
The third mission will launch the SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying token cargo on the company's Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dragon will rendezvous with the International Space Station and be captured by its robotic arm for docking. SpaceX's first demo flight in 2008 will orbit and return Dragon and its second will see the capsule rendezvous with a Falcon 9 upper stage.
Source: Flight International
