Q&A with George Ricker, principal investigator for the TESS mission (members only)

SpaceX continues to prepare for a launch attempt as soon as next week for the first test flight of its Super Heavy booster and Starship rocket, with final work on the ship’s self-destruct system, data reviews, and the receipt of an FAA license still to come before teams proceed into a countdown in South Texas.

A SpaceX-owned Dragon supply ship packed with nearly three tons of cargo arrived at the International Space Station on Monday after a three-day trip from Cape Canaveral. The station’s robotic arm grappled the cargo capsule at 6:54 a.m. EDT (1054 GMT).

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft closed out a six-day test flight in low Earth orbit Friday with an on-target splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean, and officials hailed the ship’s performance before it flies with astronauts for the first time later this year.