Human Spaceflight – Page 56

Astronauts reposition space station cooling pumps on successful spacewalk

May 16, 2018 William Harwood

Two astronauts worked outside the International Space Station Wednesday to reposition two spare solar array ammonia coolant pump assemblies, putting a failed unit, dubbed “Leaky,” into long-term storage and attaching another, known as “Frosty,” to an appendage of the lab’s robot arm.

SpaceX debuts new model of the Falcon 9 rocket designed for astronauts

May 11, 2018 Stephen Clark

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

May 5, 2018 Stephen Clark

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.

Live coverage: SpaceX supply ship departs station, returns to Earth

May 5, 2018 Stephen Clark

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

May 1, 2018 Stephen Clark

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.

SpaceX to build BFR factory in Southern California

April 21, 2018 Stephen Clark

SpaceX plans to build its massive BFR rocket boosters and spaceships inside a cavernous new factory at the Port of Los Angeles, officials announced this week.

NASA could extend space station stays as hedge against commercial crew delays

April 16, 2018 Stephen Clark

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.

Boeing proposes extending test flight of commercial crew capsule

April 9, 2018 Stephen Clark

NASA has agreed to consider a Boeing proposal to extend the first piloted test flight of its commercial CST-100 Starliner crew capsule from two weeks to up to six months with an extra crew member for the International Space Station, hedging against potential delays that could jeopardize U.S. crew access to the orbiting outpost.

Dragon cargo capsule reaches space station for second time

April 4, 2018 Stephen Clark

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.

Chinese space lab burns up on re-entry over Pacific Ocean

April 2, 2018 Stephen Clark

China’s Tiangong 1 space lab, home to two astronaut crews in 2012 and 2013, fell back to Earth uncontrolled Sunday, likely burning up over the Pacific Ocean as satellite trackers monitored the module’s gradual descent from orbit.