SpaceX test fires rocket bound for space station

A week ahead of what is touted as being the first attempt by a private company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station, SpaceX test fired their Falcon 9 rocket.?

The private spaceflight company SpaceX successfully test fired the rocket that will launch the first-ever commercial space capsule to the International Space Station today (April 30), after a slight delay that was caused by an apparent computer glitch.

Skip to next paragraph

SpaceX officials conducted the so-called "static fire test" of the firm's?Falcon 9 rocket?today on a second try at 4:15 p.m. EDT (2015 GMT) at Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket is poised on the launch pad, ready to blast off toward the space station on May 7. SpaceX aired the engine test live via the company's website.

A first attempt, which aimed to fire the rocket's engines at around 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), hit a snag with 47 second remaining in the mock countdown. SpaceX officials traced the problem to a flight computer, but the issue was resolved after a brief delay.

During today's static fire test, the nine Merlin engines that power the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage were ignited for about two seconds, as the booster remained attached to the launch pad.

"So far things look good," SpaceX spokesperson Kirstin Grantham said in a statement. "Engines fired for 2 seconds, as scheduled. Engineers will now review data as we continue preparations for the upcoming launch."

SpaceX is expected to conduct a thorough review of all the data as engineers make final preparations for the upcoming launch, which is currently targeted for May 7.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is a two-stage booster that stands about 180 feet tall (55 meters) and is topped with the company's unmanned?Dragon space capsule. It is the capsule that will be making the trip to the International Space Station, where a crew of astronauts is waiting to pluck the gumdrop-shaped capsule from space using a robotic arm. The Dragon vehicle will be attached to the orbiting complex with the robotic arm.

The Hawthorne, Calif.-based?SpaceX?(short for Space Exploration Technologies, Corp.) has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to conduct 12 cargo missions to the space station with its Dragon spacecraft. ?

"This will be the first attempt by a commercial company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station, a feat previously performed by only a few governments. Success is not guaranteed," SpaceX officials said. "If any aspect of the mission is not successful, SpaceX will learn from the experience and try again."

SpaceX is one of two private companies with contracts to provide unmanned space cargo flights to the space station for NASA. The Virginia-based company Orbital Technologies, Corp., has a $1.9 billion contract to provide eight cargo delivery missions using its own Cygnus spacecraft and Antares rocket. The first test of that spacecraft and rocket is expected to occur later this year.

SpaceX officials said the?May 7 launch of Dragon?toward the space station will also be webcast live via the company's website.

Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter?@Spacedotcom?and on?Facebook.

Copyright 2012?SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

william shatner seattle weather skier sarah burke gingrich wife cheryl burke sarah burke mega upload

Family home Interior design Choices | Rock-n-Roll Suicide

If you?re considering redecorating your property, may be you are looking around all over cantriofor many residential home interior decorating guidelines. Improving offers a high probability to state your body simply by expressing look together with hobbies and interests. One does this valuable simply by corresponding colorations, textiles, patterns together with visuals. Any mixtures of potentialities in home based interior decorating happen to be really never-ending. Certainly no a couple of dwellings ever previously will want look and feel the identical by accident.

It?ll be all to easy to rethink together with adopt virtually any residential home interior decorating patterns in case bucks were not a real restraint. Subsequently, the difficulty for many of us is how you can rethink your house inside a resources. You can acquire residential home interior decorating guidelines within the a number of home design workshops on morning shows or by purchasing a handful of the place home design catalogs. The difficulty while using catalogs, much more than with quality workshops, is that they are inclined to demonstrate to guidelines that cost thousands of dollars.

The internet is actually approach of obtaining practical residential home interior decorating guidelines that anybody else have enough money for. The price belonging to the toys utilised in online displays are usually a many more economical likewise. Online can also be a great way of examining the several broad-swathe patterns. Models like nation, fashionable, regular, Mediterranean sea, Provencal, minimal et cetera.

If you appreciate that aged patterns like nation, ancient, Provencal or regular, black, much more enjoyable shirt is the perfect. A lot of these colorations go well with elements together with older, wooden furniture. Selection hangings, paintings with nation displays, curtains and no end of pitch pads are a showcase with this variety of home design. Fall months colorations look effectively at the same time to develop a nice, warm and friendly, cozy feeling.

Contemporary, minimal together with Mediterranean sea patterns are inclined to apply smarter colorations white wines together with off-whites like magnolia happen to be environnant les rigeur. Family home interior decorating suggestions for all of these patterns add a shortage of wreck together with a great deal of available location and light. Any wall space ought to have several art pieces as opposed to the 6-8 to 10 belonging to the aged patterns. Leather furniture moves effectively right here: black or white, using an individual diverse pitch cushioning every single seats spot. An important whitened cushioning using a dark-colored couch or visa-versa.

Even so, nothing is unsuitable at hand blending together all of these design. This unique frequently develops in either case, specially if most people present you with furniture or perhaps you get the idea. If you ever try to combine several home furniture which unfortunately certainly are generated by a good deal variations, you have to something for you to connection the gap together, so to speak. You can do this almost all very easily using garments like pitch pads, divider hangings like tapestries, bath rugs together with rugs and carpets.

Any pitch pads will not all of the ought to be the identical. In reality, in the old days it was impossible that all that pads or bedroom pillows in a very place would really work exact, mainly because pads have been often constructed from off-cuts with cloth from other plans. An important range of several pitch pads just might help you combine patterns pretty very easily. An alternative residential home interior decorating theory, is always to populate mississauga homes for sale an older curio cabinet with more fashionable components of window together with chinese suppliers.

fletcher cox charlotte bobcats denver broncos new york rangers nfl mock draft 2012 norfolk island michael brockers

76ers tops Bulls 79-74 in Game 3 for 2-1 lead

Chicago Bulls' Carlos Boozer (5) loses the ball as he is defended by Philadelphia 76ers' Elton Brand (42) during the first quarter of Game 3 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Philadelphia, Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Chicago Bulls' Carlos Boozer (5) loses the ball as he is defended by Philadelphia 76ers' Elton Brand (42) during the first quarter of Game 3 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Philadelphia, Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng (9) looks to pass the ball as he is defended by Philadelphia 76ers' Lou Williams (23) and Andre Iguodala during the first quarter of Game 3 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Philadelphia, Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Philadelphia 76ers' Evan Turner (12) takes a shot past Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng, right, late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Philadelphia, Friday, May 4, 2012. The 76ers won 79-74. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Chicago Bulls' Omer Asik (3), of Turkey, gets a pass off to John Lucas III, left, from the court floor in front of Philadelphia 76ers' Elton Brand (42) in the third quarter of Game 3 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Philadelphia, Friday, May 4, 2012. The 76ers won 79-74. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Andre Iguodala (9) de los 76ers de Filadelfia mantiene el bal?n fuera del alcance de Joakim Noah (13) de los Bulls de Chicago durante un partido de playoffs entre los dos equipos, en Filadelfia, el viernes 4 de mayo de 2012. (Foto AP/Mel Evans)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? Spencer Hawes officially knocked off Chicago in Game 3 with a late jumper that capped a 14-point rally.

The top-seeded Bulls can only hope injuries won't finish them in this series.

With Derrick Rose already out with a knee injury, the Bulls received a second serious scare when Joakim Noah crashed down on his side and clutched his sprained left ankle.

With one misstep, the Bulls are on the rocks.

Hawes led a Philadelphia fourth-quarter comeback to remember, letting a late go-ahead jumper fly from just inside the 3-point arc to help the Sixers rally from 14 down to beat the Chicago Bulls 79-74 on Friday night and take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Bulls can't afford any more injuries to their stars ? or else the surprising Sixers could be the team advancing to the next round.

"I'm hoping this win tonight will take a little pressure off them," coach Doug Collins said.

The eighth-seeded Sixers are halfway toward eliminating the Bulls. They won Game 2 in Chicago with Rose out and stormed back in a fourth quarter where Noah was limited to 2 minutes. Noah left the arena on crutches and was wearing a protective boot.

Noah, who finished with 12 points, has little time to recover. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

"We have to have a mental toughness to get past all that," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We've had injuries all year and you deal with it."

Hawes scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth, grabbed nine rebounds and buried the winner with 2:11 left to give the Sixers their first lead since halftime.

"We have a huge opportunity here in the playoffs and we have to try and capitalize on it," Hawes said.

With Rose out, the Sixers believed they were in perfect position to knock off the Bulls and build a series lead on their home court.

Good plan.

Philadelphia scored only 11 points in the third quarter and trailed by double digits early in the fourth before taking off against the battered Bulls.

Hawes keyed the surge and buried two free throws to pull the Sixers to 71-70 with 3:28 left.

Holding a one-point lead, Omer Asik missed two free throws giving the 76ers new life.

Hawes hit a 20-footer for a 72-71 lead and Evan Turner made two free throws for a three-point lead with 1:24 left.

John Lucas III made a 3-pointer for the Bulls to make it a one-point game and a send a shiver into a team that faded down the stretch after a 20-9 start.

All of that is behind them now. Jrue Holiday hit two free throws to seal the win to the delight of 20,381 fans who packed the Wells Fargo Center.

"When we're at our best is when we find joy in playing," Collins said.

The Bulls missed 10 straight field goals over 5-plus minutes in the fourth to lose all of their 14-point lead. Carlos Boozer had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls and Richard Hamilton scored 17 points.

"Our fourth quarter has to be our best quarter and tonight it wasn't," Boozer said. "We had good looks down the stretch and just missed them."

Holiday scored 17 points and Turner had 16 while reserve Lou Williams added 14. The Sixers missed 13 of 14 3-pointers and shot 34 percent (26 of 76) from the floor. Yet their late run was enough to help them win consecutive playoff games for the first time since 2003.

"We just pulled it together," Turner said.

Noah's injury came midway through the third quarter when he stepped on Andre Iguodala's foot driving down the lane. His feet gave out from under him and he crashed to the court. Noah instantly grabbed his left ankle in pain ? while a smattering of fans cheered the fallen Bull.

Noah walked gingerly to the bench for a timeout but returned to shoot his free throws.

He was on the bench after a few possessions and stayed there until the fourth.

Noah hopped around trying to take pressure off the ankle. He put the pressure right on the Sixers and even nailed a 15-footer.

The bumps kept coming for the banged-up Bulls.

But when Hamilton hit a 3 for a 67-53 lead in the fourth and it appeared they were cruising toward the victory.

Not so fast. With the Philly crowd standing and waving their rally towels, the Sixers seemed primed for a comeback. Hawes fought inside for a tough basket that pulled the Sixers to 69-64 to help them end the game on a stunning 26-7 run.

"When Rip hit that shot, I was looking in our guys' eyes," Collins said. "Somehow, we fought back."

The Bulls need to figure out a new rotation without Rose and way to protect Noah if they don't want this series to slip away.

"You need guys who have that great will to win, no matter what the circumstances," Thibodeau said.

NOTES: Hall of Famer Julius Erving returned to the Sixers as a strategic adviser. His deal runs through 2015 and he will be available to the franchise on an as-needed basis. ... Actor Bill Murray was at the game. ... The Sixers snapped a four-game home losing streak.

Associated Press

torrie wilson alabama lsu bcs national championship bcs championship bcs national championship 2012 university of alabama national championship game

kagablog ? THE USE OF MOBILE PHONE TECHNOLOGY IN SMS ...

SMS SUGAR MAN is a feature film that incorporates new cell phone technologies in a highly innovative manner.

The film is not only actually shot on cell phone cameras, in itself a revolutionary breakthrough, but the cell phone plays a vital role in driving the film?s narrative ? in effect functioning as a dramatic character.

All the lead actresses carry a cell phone and constantly film each other. Thus the traditional cinematic practice of having a ?cast? who are invisibly filmed by a ?crew? of technicians ? is radically subverted.

In SMS SUGAR MAN cast and crew fuse ? the actresses are in control of filming each other ? and in monologue scenes, -themselves.

This conceptual leap mirrors the tremendous empowering effect that cell phone technology has had on our every day lives.

The plot of the film is entirely driven around the potential that cell phones have to enable us to explore new forms of communication and new ways of representing ourselves. The consequences of these innovations are hardly studied as yet, and SMS SUGAR MAN makes a contribution to our understanding of how significant cell phone technology has been on the evolution of our social development.

Cell phone media have become so much part of our daily living that it would be impossible to conceive of an urban environment without them. SMS SUGAR MAN is a prescient glimpse into the near future when all our most basic relations with each other are informed by cell phone use, including sexuality and spirituality.

ufc 144 fight card ufc 144 results acura nsx all star weekend 2012 giada de laurentiis howard hughes nationwide race

Jonathan Coulton: Down Today (Little green footballs)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

ron paul nevada buffalo chicken dip super bowl 2012 soul train nevada caucus ufc 143 what time does the super bowl start

Due To Revenue Decline, Bankers Lower Facebook IPO Pricing To $27-35 Range

We are hearing from bankers underwriting Facebook's initial public offering, that it will IPO at a $70 billion to $90 billion valuation, or $27-$35 a share. The reason for the valuation dropping below its speculated $100 billion mark is the sequential quarter-over-quarter revenue decline going into the first quarter revealed in its?recent S-1 amendment. ?While that's still going to be a landmark valuation for a consumer Internet company, but it could be a bit disappointing for some. "If y/y rev growth had accelerated, we could be talking LinkedIn multiples. Plus LinkedIn has expanding margins, which Facebook doesn't," said a source. (Just for reference, LinkedIn trades at a price-earnings ratio of 913. If Facebook debuted at a $100 billion valuation, that would be 100X its trailing net income.) The Wall Street Journal also reported that Facebook will debut at an $85 Billion to $95 Billion valuation, but we have our own independent sources who have confirmed this price range.

uss arizona memorial uss arizona memorial d day red solo cup new planet new planet green bay packers stock

Breathe Like a Dolphin With This Double-Sided Swimming Snorkel [Video]

Constantly turning your head to breath while doing the front crawl slows you down and can strain the muscles in your neck. The Powerbreather takes a design cue from our cetacean cousins by letting you breath out the back of your head. More »

carlos condit diaz vs condit super bowl 2012 kickoff time football score ron paul nevada buffalo chicken dip super bowl 2012