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SpaceX test-fires reused rocket in preparation for space station cargo mission
A rocket booster SpaceX used to launch a planet-hunting NASA observatory two months ago fired again Saturday at Cape Canaveral, clearing a major pre-flight checkout before blastoff June 29 with a space station supply ship.
New helium tank for SpaceX crew launches still waiting to fly
SpaceX is still working on a new, safer helium tank design needed for launches with astronauts, and the debut of the company's upgraded Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket earlier this month did not count as one of seven successful missions in "crew configuration" NASA says it requires before putting astronauts aboard the vehicle, officials said Thursday.
Photos: Bangabandhu 1 launched by upgraded Falcon 9 rocket
SpaceX’s upgraded Falcon 9 rocket debuted May 11 with a successful launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying the Bangabandhu 1 communications satellite.
SpaceX debuts new model of the Falcon 9 rocket designed for astronauts
SpaceX debuted a more reusable, higher-thrust model of the Falcon 9 rocket Friday, hauling Bangladesh’s first communications satellite into orbit from Florida's Space Coast.
Reused Dragon cargo carrier splashes down in Pacific Ocean
An automated SpaceX supply ship parachuted into the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, bringing more than 3,800 pounds of cargo -- including a NASA robot requiring repair -- back to Earth after a month-long mission at the International Space Station.
VideoLive coverage: SpaceX supply ship departs station, returns to Earth
A SpaceX Dragon capsule is wrapping up a month-long mission Saturday. The spaceship departed the International Space Station at 9:23 a.m. EDT (1323 GMT), and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) with nearly two tons of experiment specimens and hardware, including a habitat of mice and Robonaut 2, an experimental humanoid robot in need of repairs.
Dragon cargo craft’s return to Earth delayed to Saturday
A commercial Dragon cargo capsule will remain at the International Space Station until Saturday, three days later than previously planned due to high sea states observed by the SpaceX recovery team in the spaceship's splashdown zone in the Pacific Ocean.
VideoPotential contamination not a concern for space station’s new lightning instrument
Scientists working on a new lightning detection instrument mounted outside the International Space Station said Tuesday they expect little effect on the sensor's performance from possible contamination from the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched it into orbit April 2.
NASA could extend space station stays as hedge against commercial crew delays
NASA is working with the Russian space agency to potentially extend crew stays on the International Space Station, the agency's acting administrator said last week, as a cushion against expected delays in the development of commercial crew capsules by Boeing and SpaceX.
Dragon cargo capsule reaches space station for second time
A commercial Dragon spacecraft glacially approached the International Space Station on Wednesday, allowing a robotic arm controlled by Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai to reach out and grapple the supply ship as it soared 250 miles over Africa, completing SpaceX's 14th mission to the research complex, and the second by the same capsule.