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SpaceX Dragon bathes in the Pacific

'Mission is a success!'

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The Dragon has landed.

Multi-entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon capsule, launched Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard the company's Falcon 9 rocket, splashed down successfuly in the Pacific after completing its two-orbit circumnavigation of Planet Earth.

In a subtly understated tweet early Wednesday afternoon Cape Canaveral time, the SpaceX crew informed the waiting world: "SPLASHDOWN!!!"

That victory cry was followed by the more-reserved announcement: "SpaceX is the first commercial company to reenter a spacecraft from space!"

Subsequent tweets noted that the landing was on target, the mission was a success, and that floatation devices had been attached to the victorious voyager.

A post-mission press conference will be hosted by NASA at 3:30pm, Eastern Standard time, and will be carried on NASA TV.

We here at The Reg — no strangers to space flight ourselves — offer our hearty congratulations to the intrepid Muskonauts.

Well played, indeed. ®

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NASA-TV - No sound...

... 'cause, in space, no one can hear you...

That lack of care just about exemplifies NASA, these days.

On a positive note, sincere congratulations to SpaceX and the Dragon team. Throttles up, you guys!

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No help to you but...

I had sound.....

Quite an interesting conference as well - Elon Musk said wuite a lot about the man rated version - the most interesting bit was the cost comparison to Orion - Orion cost so far (with no flight, not including launcher costs) $4.6B, cost of Falcon 9 + Dragon (not yet man rated), $400m or thereabouts. For pretty much the same thing. Iin fact Musk said the Dragon was a more capable craft than Orion (it's heatshield can do Mars reentry for example). It has pretty much the same internal pressurised volume, and more accurate landing capability)

The whole thin g is on YouTube anyway.

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Where's the Playmobil?

You suppose our intrepid PARIS pilot hitched a ride?

Either way, good job! (Virtual) Beers all-round for the SpaceXers...

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