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SpaceX fires up Crew Dragon thrusters in key test after April explosion
SpaceX test-fired the Crew Dragon spacecraft's eight SuperDraco abort engines Wednesday at Cape Canaveral, paving the way for a high-altitude rocket escape test and demonstrating engineers have apparently fixed the problem that triggered an explosion during a similar ground firing in April.
Video: Crew Dragon tests abort thrusters at Cape Canaveral
SpaceX conducted a static fire test of the SuperDraco abort thrusters on the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft Wednesday afternoon at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
VideoBoeing, SpaceX readying for crew capsule abort tests
Boeing and SpaceX are readying for launch abort tests in the coming weeks to validate the crew escape systems for the new human-rated Starliner and Crew Dragon spaceships, now scheduled to begin ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station in the first half of next year.
Bridenstine says NASA not holding up commercial crew schedule
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said this week the space agency is not unduly delaying the debut of new SpaceX and Boeing commercial crew capsules as engineers gear up for a challenging rapid-fire sequence of test flights in the next few months, all against the backdrop of in-depth safety reviews before clearing the privately-owned ships to carry astronauts.
NASA likely to buy Soyuz seats, defer Japanese astronaut flight
With lingering uncertainly about when new commercial crew spaceships will be ready to launch humans, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Thursday the space agency will replace a Japanese astronaut with a U.S. space flier on the next Russian Soyuz launch to the International Space Station. He added that it remains in NASA's interests to pay Russia for one or more additional Soyuz seats next year to ensure the station remains continuously staffed with at least one American.
VideoBoeing reveals target dates for initial Starliner test flights
Boeing officials said Wednesday that the company is targeting Dec. 17 for the launch of the first unpiloted orbital test flight of the new Starliner crew capsule from Cape Canaveral on a week-long demonstration mission to the International Space Station, a precursor to a mission with astronauts next year.
NASA may ask SpaceX to extend duration of Crew Dragon test flight
NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley may spend more time on the International Space Station than originally planned when they ride SpaceX's new human-rated Dragon spacecraft into orbit on its first crewed test flight, a space agency official said Friday.
Hardware arrives in Florida for Crew Dragon in-flight abort test
Images taken inside SpaceX facilities at Cape Canaveral and released by NASA Thursday show the Crew Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 booster assigned to an in-flight abort test of the new human-rated spaceship later this year, a prerequisite before astronauts climb aboard for a mission to the International Space Station.
SpaceX’s first rocket built for humans test-fired in Texas
The Falcon 9 booster assigned to launch two NASA astronauts on an orbital test flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule has been test-fired in Texas, but the schedule for the long-awaited mission remains unclear.
Live coverage: Kennedy Space Center to reopen Friday
After assessing any damage to the spaceport caused by Hurricane Dorian as it narrowly missed Florida's east coast, NASA says the Kennedy Space Center will reopen for normal operations Friday. Teams rolled the Space Launch System's mobile launch platform from pad 39B back into the cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building last week for safekeeping during the storm.