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SpaceX test-fires rocket, preps for final flight of first-generation Dragon capsule
The Falcon 9 booster for SpaceX's next mission fired up briefly on a Cape Canaveral launch pad Sunday in a routine pre-flight test before a scheduled launch Friday night to kick off the final flight of the first version of the company's Dragon cargo capsule to the International Space Station.
SpaceX swaps upper stage for next Falcon 9 launch
SpaceX is targeting launches March 6 and March 11 for its next two missions after swapping an upper stage for its next Falcon 9 rocket with another stage already being readied for liftoff at Cape Canaveral.
NASA picks Rocket Lab to launch lunar CubeSat mission
NASA announced Friday that Rocket Lab will launch a 55-pound CubeSat from Wallops Island, Virginia, toward the moon in early 2021 on a demonstration mission to test lunar navigation techniques and scout a unique elliptical orbit for the planned Gateway mini-space station.
VideoSpaceX’s Crew Dragon delivered to Cape Canaveral for first flight with astronauts
SpaceX's next Crew Dragon capsule was delivered to Cape Canaveral this week from a California factory for a liftoff as soon as this spring with veteran NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a test flight to the International Space Station, officials announced Friday.
Trump administration requests funding boost for NASA’s Artemis moon program
The Trump administration is requesting $25.2 billion for NASA in fiscal 2021, a 12 percent increase that includes $3.3 billion to kickstart development of a human-rated lander for the Artemis moon program. Nearly half of the budget request, $12.3 billion, is devoted to new and ongoing projects focused on the return to the moon and eventual flights to Mars.
SpaceX releases preliminary results from Crew Dragon abort test
Data from the Jan. 19 in-flight launch escape demonstration of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft indicate the performance of the capsule's SuperDraco abort engines was "flawless" as the thrusters boosted the ship away from the top of a Falcon 9 rocket with a peak acceleration of about 3.3Gs, officials said Thursday.
Photos: Crew Dragon returns to port after in-flight abort test
Loaded onto a SpaceX recovery ship, the Crew Dragon capsule that performed a successful in-flight abort test Sunday over Florida's Space Coast pulled into Port Canaveral hours later after being retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean.
Photos: SpaceX purposely fails rocket to test crew capsule safety system
SpaceX simulated an in-flight emergency Sunday to verify the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft has the capability to catapult away from a failing Falcon 9 rocket.
SpaceX aces final major test before first crew mission
SpaceX performed a dramatic high-altitude test flight Sunday of the company's Crew Dragon capsule over Florida's Space Coast, testing the human-rated ship's ability to escape a rocket failure and save its crew before two NASA astronauts strap in for a flight to the International Space Station as soon as this spring.
NASA expected to detail costs for fast-track moon landing program next month
NASA will release a budget profile with a cost estimate for the agency's Artemis moon program in February in conjunction with the White House's fiscal year 2021 budget request, according to NASA's deputy administrator.