News Archive
Browse every article published on Spaceflight Now, from launch reports and mission previews to spacecraft development coverage. Use the filters to narrow by topic or search by keyword.
Matching Articles
831 articles
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.
Video: Falcon 9 test-fired before fourth Starlink launch (members only)
Spaceflight Now members can watch a video replay of the static fire test of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket before the fourth launch dedicated to deploying the company's Starlink broadband network.
SpaceX test-fires rocket for next Starlink mission; launch date under review
Just one day after a mission from a nearby launch pad, SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Monday at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station ahead of the company's next flight. Faced with extreme weather this week in the ocean recovery zone for the Falcon 9's first stage booster and payload shroud, SpaceX said it was evaluating the best opportunity to launch the Falcon 9 with 60 Starlink broadband satellites.
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.
Live coverage: Next SpaceX launch expected no earlier than Monday
SpaceX performed a hold-down test-firing Jan. 20 of a Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral in preparation for a launch with 60 Starlink broadband satellites, but officials delayed the missions's planned launch Tuesday due to extreme weather in the downrange recovery zone for the first stage and payload fairing. The next possible launch attempt is expected at 9:49 a.m. EST (1449 GMT) Monday.
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.
VideoSpaceX will trigger an intentional rocket failure to prove crew capsule’s safety
SpaceX will sacrifice a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday in a fiery test a minute-and-a-half after liftoff from Florida’s Space Coast to prove the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft can safely push astronauts away from a failing launch vehicle, simulating a daring maneuver that would only be attempted on a piloted mission during an in-flight emergency.
Pending test outcomes, NASA says SpaceX could launch astronauts in early March
A NASA official said Friday that SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft could be ready to ferry astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station as soon as early March, pending the results from a major demonstration of the ship's launch abort system this weekend, a pair of parachute drop tests, and space station crew schedules.
VideoLive coverage: SpaceX successfully performs Crew Dragon abort test
SpaceX launched an unpiloted Crew Dragon spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT) Sunday. SpaceX triggered an escape maneuver using the Dragon's thrusters about a minute-and-a-half after liftoff to verify the launch abort engines can safely carry the capsule -- and astronauts on future missions -- away from a failing rocket.