Tag: commercial-space
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Weather forces delay for SpaceX’s historic launch of NASA’s first Dragon riders to the space station
Air Force One flies above Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying President Donald Trump to witness SpaceX’s Crew Dragon launch. Liftoff was postponed until Saturday due to weather concerns. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota) The countdown for SpaceX’s first crewed launch to the International Space Station ran down to less…
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SpaceX crew launch comes with new weather constraints for downrange aborts
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Demo-2 mission’s May 27 launch attempt was scrubbed due to poor weather. SpaceX plans another launch attempt at 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT) Saturday, May 30. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft stand on launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls Mission managers will be…
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Photos: Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon on eve of launch
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft were lowered horizontal on pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center the day before launch, allowing teams to address an issue with a chilled water loop near the top of the strongback structure. The 215-foot (65-meter) rocket, emblazoned with the U.S. flag and NASA’s “worm” and “meatball”…
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Crew Dragon astronauts, both married to veteran space fliers, share unique bond
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley (right) pose on the tower at launch pad 39A Saturday during a dress rehearsal for launch day. Credit: SpaceX It’s one thing to watch a spouse blast off on a rocketship, especially when the spacecraft is making its first flight…
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Virgin Orbit’s air-launched rocket fails on first test flight
Virgin Orbit’s carrier aircraft — a Boeing 747 named “Cosmic Girl” — took off from Mojave Air and Space Port at 2:56 p.m. EDT (11:56 a.m. EDT) Monday with the company’s LauncherOne rocket under its left wing. Credit: Matt Hartman / Shorealone Films Making its first flight, a privately-funded air-launched rocket developed and built by…
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NASA signs off on historic SpaceX crewed launch, leaving weather as final uncertainty
The sun rises with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule sitting atop a Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (SpaceX Photo / Ben Cooper) Mission managers have cleared the final paperwork for SpaceX’s first-ever crewed launch, aimed at sending two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.…
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Video: Dragon astronauts practice for launch day
Following the same timeline as they will on launch day, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken put on their SpaceX flight suits and strapped inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This video released by NASA shows the astronauts suiting up inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and…
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Virgin Orbit eager for data from first flight of air-launched rocket
A view of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne vehicle under the left wing of a Boeing 747 carrier aircraft at Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Credit: Virgin Orbit Virgin Orbit is setting modest expectations ahead of the company’s first attempt to reach orbit with a liquid-fueled air-launched rocket, emphasizing a hunger for flight data on…
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Dragon crew runs through launch day dress rehearsal
Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken donned their SpaceX-made launch and entry flight suits Saturday and rode to pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in a final dress rehearsal before launch day. They rode in a Tesla SUV with the license plate “ISSBND” — noting the crew’s destination of the International Space Station. The two…
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Astronauts have a surprise name for their Crew Dragon spacecraft
The Crew Dragon spacecraft sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Credit: SpaceX Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken plan to reveal a name for their Crew Dragon spaceship on the day they launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reclaiming a tradition that dates back to…