Tag: Dragon
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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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SpaceX cargo capsule comes back to Earth from space station
SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is released from the International Space Station’s robotic arm Friday. Credit: NASA A commercial Dragon cargo craft launched June 29 departed the International Space Station and returned to Earth on Friday with nearly two tons of cargo and research samples. Operating under commands from mission control, the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm detached…
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Return of the Dragon – CRS-15 ends mission with Pacific splashdown
SpaceX’s CRS-15 Dragon spacecraft has completed the EOM (End Of Mission) phase with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Friday. As per usual – though still unusual for International Space Station (ISS) vehicles – Dragon and her important downmass will be recovered. Release from the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) occurred at 12:38…
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SpaceX Dragon cargo craft splashes down, delivering space algae and cell samples
News Brief: The International Space Station’s crew sent a Dragon back to Earth today, filled with more than 3,800 pounds of scientific samples and equipment. SpaceX’s robotic Dragon cargo capsule had been hooked up to the station for just over a month, providing plenty of time for the crew to unload shipments from Earth and…
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NASA names nine astronauts for SpaceX and Boeing flights to space station
The crews for the first four flights on SpaceX and Boeing space taxis wave to the cameras after their introduction at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas. (NASA via YouTube) NASA unveiled the first nine astronauts for its commercial crew missions to the International Space Station today, including rookies as well as seasoned veterans. The…
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NASA confirms new timetable for space taxi flights; SpaceX to fly crew next April
An artist’s conception shows SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spaceship docking with the International Space Station, plus a cargo-carrying version of the Dragon in the foreground. (SpaceX Illustration via NASA) NASA today laid out a newly stretched-out schedule for flying astronauts to the International Space Station from U.S. soil, with SpaceX’s first such flight set for no earlier…
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SpaceX to attempt five recoveries in less than two weeks as fleet activity ramps up
Begining July 22nd, SpaceX is currently scheduled to perform three Falcon 9 droneship recoveries, a fairing recovery, and a Dragon recovery in less than two weeks. A total of five recoveries in short succession paves the way for an unprecedented amount of activity from SpaceX’s fleet of recovery vessels. The fleet operates out of the…
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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule arrives in Florida to get set for uncrewed test flight
Technicians check out the Crew Dragon capsule in Florida after the completion of thermal vacuum and acoustic testing at NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Ohio. (SpaceX via Instagram) After months of testing, a SpaceX Dragon capsule that’s designed to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station has arrived in Florida, marking a significant…
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SpaceX’s science-laden Dragon cargo spaceship hooks up with space station
News Brief: Three days after its launch, SpaceX’s robotic Dragon cargo capsule is now attached to the International Space Station. Astronauts used the station’s robotic arm to capture the spaceship at 3:54 a.m. PT today and pull it in for its berthing. Over the course of the next month, the crew will unload nearly three…
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SpaceX CRS-15 Dragon arrives at ISS with science/crew supply payloads
Three days after launching from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, SpaceX’s CRS-15 Dragon has arrived at the International Space Station. Ahead of the pre-planned timeline, Dragon was grappled by the Station’s Canadarm2 at 06:54 EDT (10:54 UTC) on Monday, with berthing following at around 09:50 EDT (13:50 UTC). Packed within Dragon…