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Fresh crew docks at space station; Starliner astronauts expected to return to Earth Tuesday
Approaching from behind and below, the Crew Dragon, launched Friday evening from the Kennedy Space Center, passed 1,300 feet directly under the station before looping up to a point 720 feet directly ahead of the outpost. From there, it glided straight in for docking at the Harmony module's forward port at 12:04 a.m. EDT.
Starship upper stage lost in second mishap in a row
SpaceX launched its huge Starship rocket on the program's eighth test flight Thursday, but a malfunction of some sort triggered multiple upper stage engine shutdowns and for the second flight in a row, the vehicle failed to reach its planned sub-orbital altitude and broke apart in a shower of debris.
Trump nominates Jared Isaacman to serve as next NASA administrator
If confirmed, Isaacman, 41, would be the fifth NASA administrator with spaceflight experience, replacing former Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who flew into orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia in early 1986.
One astronaut hospitalized in Pensacola after splashdown; crewmates flown back to Houston
The astronaut "is in stable condition under observation as a precautionary measure," NASA said in a statement 10 hours after the Crew Dragon's landing. "To protect the crew member’s medical privacy, specific details on the individual’s condition or identity will not be shared."
VideoSpaceX launches two to space station, giving Starliner astronauts a ride home in February
SpaceX launched a reduced two-man crew on a flight to the International Space Station Saturday, along with supplies and a pair of empty seats for two Starliner astronauts waiting to hitch a ride home in February after an unexpected eight-and-a-half-month stay in orbit.
VideoPolaris Dawn crew gears up for Thursday spacewalk
Billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX crew trainer Sarah Gillis prepared to open the forward hatch of their Polaris Dawn spacecraft early Thursday to take turns floating outside in the first non-government spacewalk in the history of space exploration. Depressurizing the spacecraft will begin around 2:23 a.m. EDT (0623 UTC) and a scaffold-like "Skywalker" assembly extending just above the hatch will be used for stability.
NASA plans for space station’s demise with new SpaceX ‘Deorbit Vehicle’
The ISS Deorbit Vehicle, or DV, will be a custom-built, one-of-a-kind spacecraft needed to make sure the space station re-enters the atmosphere at the precise place and in the proper orientation to insure any wreckage that survives the 3,000-degree heat of re-entry will crash harmlessly into the sea.
Falcon Heavy launches NASA’s Psyche asteroid probe
Getting off to a ground-shaking start, NASA's $1.2 billion Psyche asteroid probe roared into space atop a Falcon Heavy rocket Friday, setting off on a 2.2-billion-mile voyage to a rare, metal-rich asteroid that may hold clues about how the cores of rocky planets like Earth first formed.
Cargo Dragon docks at space station
Closing out an automated 18-hour rendezvous, a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship loaded with 7,000 pounds of supplies and equipment, including two add-on roll-out solar blankets, caught up with the International Space Station early Tuesday and moved in for a problem-free docking.
Nelson cites China’s growing space prowess, calls for sustained NASA funding
Holding up a photo taken by China's new Mars lander, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson warned Congress Wednesday that his agency faces increasingly stiff competition on the high frontier and that sustained funding for a new moon lander, infrastructure upgrades and other critical programs is vital for America's space program.