Tag: Dragon 2
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SpaceX launches historic DM-1 mission, Dragon 2 on first flight to the ISS
SpaceX took a major step towards ending the United States’ human spaceflight gap Saturday, with the launch of their Crew Dragon spacecraft on its first demonstration flight. Flying without astronauts aboard for its Demo-1 test flight, Crew Dragon lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 02:49:03 Eastern Time (07:49 UTC) atop a Falcon 9…
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SpaceX gains FRR green light for DM-1 mission to the ISS
Dragon 2 remains on track for her maiden flight to the International Space Station (ISS) in March following a green light from the key Flight Readiness Review (FRR) on Friday. The Agency Level FRR meeting was the final review stage from all relevant elements involving SpaceX, NASA Commercial Crew and the ISS program, with the milestones…
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NASA set to purchase more Soyuz seats to ensure uninterrupted access to the ISS
Despite the scheduled return of US domestic crew launch capability this year, NASA is set to purchase more rides on the Russian Soyuz through 2020. The agency is adhering to a recommendation from its Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) after concerns were raised about the lack of a back-up option covering the potential delays that…
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SpaceX conducts static fire test on Falcon 9 ahead of Crew Dragon debut
SpaceX has conducted the milestone of a static fire test in preparation of the historic Crew Dragon debut mission – Demo Mission-1 (DM-1) – from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The launch will be the first orbital test flight of Crew Dragon, though without astronauts onboard. The Falcon 9 vehicle includes core B1051,…
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Falcon 9 with Dragon 2 rolls out for DM-1 dry dress rehearsal at 39A
The SpaceX Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon capsule which will execute the Demonstration Mission-1 (DM-1) test flight have rolled out to Pad 39A for fit checks ahead of launch. The rollout is a strong indicator that SpaceX is nearly ready to perform the much anticipated DM-1 mission – an uncrewed certification flight for NASA’s Commercial…
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Dragon brings the science; NASA, SpaceX realign DM-1 test to NET 17 January launch
SpaceX’s CRS-16 resupply mission to the International Space Station has been grappled by Canadarm2 – despite being delayed by a ground station communication issue with a Tracking and Data Relay (TDRS) satellite – ahead of being successfully berthed to the orbital outpost. The mission’s arrival signals the start of a busy 37 day period with…
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Commercial Crew completes training and prepares flight hardware
Teams from NASA, SpaceX, and the Department of Defense recently completed medical emergency training at Cape Canaveral. Launch pads are receiving final upgrades, and flight hardware is beginning to arrive, as both Commercial Crew providers progress towards returning crew launch capability to American soil. On October 25, an emergency simulation was conducted at the Kennedy…
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Thirty years after Return To Flight from Challenger, Commercial Crew strives for culture of safety
Thirty years ago this weekend, after a two and a half year stand down and an extremely difficult external- and self-examination of a lack of safety within the program, NASA succeeded in returning the Space Shuttle fleet to flight following the devastating loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger and her seven-member crew on the STS-51L…
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SpaceX finalizing Pad 39A upgrades for return to crew operations
SpaceX is finishing its years-long campaign to return Launch Pad 39A to crew operations. Following the installation of the Crew Access Arm (CAA), workers have now relocated the Shuttle-era slidewire baskets support structure to a higher level on the Fixed Service Structure (FSS) on Pad 39A. Additionally, although it is not required for crew operations,…
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NAC provides Starliner, Dragon 2 update – Commercial Crew preps entering final leg to launch
SpaceX and Boeing continue to make steady progress towards the major flight tests under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. At a NASA Advisory Council (NAC) meeting on Monday, the members were updated on the progress of each of the two providers. Overall, the updates were quite positive with most of the flight hardware nearing completion. The…