SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 1
| Mission type | Test flight |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2010-066A |
| SATCAT no. | 37244 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Dragon |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Launch mass | 333,400 kilograms (735,000 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 8 December 2010, 15:43 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 v1.0 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 8 December 2010, 18:02 UTC UTC |
| Landing site | Pacific Ocean, approx. 500 mi (800 km) west of Baja, Mexico |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee | 288 kilometers (179 mi) |
| Apogee | 301 kilometers (187 mi) |
| Inclination | 34.53 degrees |
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SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 1 in 2010 was the unmanned first spaceflight of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, the Dragon C1, which orbited the Earth, and the second overall flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9. It was also the first demonstration flight for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program for which SpaceX was selected. The primary mission objectives were to test the orbital maneuvering and reentry of the Dragon capsule. The mission also aimed to test fixes to the Falcon 9 rocket, particularly the unplanned roll of the first stage that occurred during Flight 1. The capsule was carried to orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket, which made its second scheduled launch. Liftoff occurred on December 8, 2010, at 10:43 am EST (1543 GMT).
The success of the mission allowed SpaceX to advance its vehicle testing plan. With the two back-to-back "near-perfect" Falcon 9 launches (including Falcon 9 Flight 1 in June) "and the successful orbital operation, reentry and parachute landing of its first Dragon capsule" SpaceX "asked NASA to combine objectives laid out for the remaining two COTS missions ... and permit a berthing at the [space station] during its next flight," which was completed successfully in 2012.
On August 18, 2006, NASA announced that SpaceX had won a NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract to demonstrate cargo delivery to the International Space Station with a possible option for crew transport. This contract, designed by NASA to provide "seed money" for development of new boosters, paid SpaceX $278 million to develop the Falcon-9 launch vehicle, with incentive payments paid at milestones culminating in three demonstration launches. COTS Demo Flight 1 was the first of the launches under this contract. The original agreement with NASA called for the COTS Demo Flight 1 to occur the second quarter of 2008; this flight was delayed several times, actually occurring in December 2010.
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