KSC-2011-5103

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, opens its doors for a media tour of its Launch Control Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, or CCAFS, in Florida. In December 2010, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from CCAFS's Launch Complex 40. The Dragon capsule went through several maneuvers before it re-entered the atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean about 500 miles west of the coast of Mexico. That was the first demonstration flight for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, which will provide cargo flights to the International Space Station in the future. The company is preparing for another launch in late 2011, in which the Dragon spacecraft and trunk will fly close to the space station so the station’s robotic arm can grab the spacecraft and bring it in for a docking. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin