Tag: Dragon
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SpaceX prepares for next two missions via McGregor testing
SpaceX’s rocket stages are deep into their test and processing flows, ahead of two missions currently set to take place in April. Both missions are at opposite ends of their test flows at SpaceX’s test site in McGregor, Texas – with CRS-8 hardware set to depart for Florida while the Falcon 9 first stage tasked…
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SpaceX prepares for SES-9 mission and Dragon’s return
Two SpaceX missions have received preliminary planning dates for their upcoming launches out of Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9 launch with the SES-9 satellite is now aiming for a February 24 liftoff from SLC-40, while the Dragon spacecraft is set to return to action NET (No Earlier Than) April 1 for her CRS-8 mission to…
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SpaceX shows how its Dragon 2 spaceship hovers
A SpaceX Dragon craft fires its thrusters during a propulsive hover test in Texas. (Credit: SpaceX) A newly released video shows SpaceX’s Dragon 2 capsule pulling off a valuable trick: firing its thrusters to hover above a landing pad. The Nov. 24 test was part of Project DragonFly, the California-based company’s effort to develop a Dragon that can…
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NASA splits space station cargo deal three ways
Updated with quotes and details after NASA press conference. Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo freighter, Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser, and SpaceX’s Dragon supply ship will carry equipment to and from the International Space Station under contracts announced Thursday. Credit: NASA/Sierra Nevada Corp. An unpiloted space plane developed by Sierra Nevada Corp. will join cargo carriers built…
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NASA splits space station cargo deal three ways
Updated with quotes and details after NASA press conference. Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo freighter, Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser, and SpaceX’s Dragon supply ship will carry equipment to and from the International Space Station under contracts announced Thursday. Credit: NASA/Sierra Nevada Corp. An unpiloted space plane developed by Sierra Nevada Corp. will join cargo carriers built…
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NASA awards CRS2 contracts to SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada
NASA has announced the contract award winners for the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS2) phase of the agency’s ongoing partnership with commercial companies for cargo resupply of the International Space Station. The contact will see SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada – with Dream Chaser – perform resupply runs to Station starting in 2019. CRS2 awards: Following the success…
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It’s official: NASA signs up to send crew on SpaceX’s Dragon space taxi
An artist’s conception shows SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule en route to the International Space Station. (Credit: SpaceX) NASA has ordered its first mission from SpaceX to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, six months after placing a similar order with Boeing. “It’s really exciting to see SpaceX and Boeing with hardware in flow for…
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NASA delays cargo award again, eliminates Boeing from contention
A SpaceX Dragon cargo craft is seen grappled by the International Space Station’s robotic arm. Credit: NASA NASA has delayed the award of new contracts for cargo transportation services between Earth and the International Space Station, and eliminated an uncrewed version of Boeing’s human-rated CST-100 Starliner capsule from the competition, officials said Thursday. The agency…
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SpaceX DragonFly arrives at McGregor for testing
SpaceX’s DragonFly test vehicle has arrived at its test facility in McGregor, Texas. DragonFly will be attached to a large crane, ahead of a series of test firings of its SuperDraco thrusters to set the stage towards the eventual goal of propulsive landings. The first test is set to take place in the next few…
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Canaveral and KSC pads: New designs for space access
For the past several years, the historic launch pads at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, have undergone sweeping changes as the conclusion of the Space Shuttle program brought a new vision to the spaceport. Those changes have now spread across the lagoon to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where pad modifications are underway for…