International Space Station – Spaceflight Now

Astronaut’s family won’t attend launch next month due to coronavirus threat

March 20, 2020

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy’s family will be watching remotely from halfway around the world when he blasts off April 9 from Kazakhstan to begin a six-month expedition on the International Space Station.

Soyuz launch preps in Kazakhstan proceed despite travel restrictions

March 17, 2020

While Arianespace missions from French Guiana have been suspended in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the company says a Soyuz rocket launch from Kazakhstan is set to go ahead Saturday with 34 more OneWeb broadband satellites.

Photos: Falcon 9 launches and lands at Cape Canaveral

March 9, 2020

A Falcon 9 rocket fired into a late-night sky Friday night over Cape Canaveral with a Dragon supply ship bound for the International Space Station. Eight minutes later, the booster returned to Florida’s Space Coast for SpaceX’s 50th landing of a Falcon first stage.

Astronauts capture SpaceX cargo capsule with robot arm for final time

March 9, 2020

For the final time, a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule approached the International Space Station Monday for capture with the research lab’s robotic arm, delivering more than 4,300 pounds of food, experiments and spare parts. Future Dragon resupply missions will use a new spaceship design to automatically dock with the space station.

No decision yet on additional test flight for Boeing Starliner spacecraft

March 7, 2020

A review team studying software glitches and other miscues that cropped up during an unpiloted test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 crew capsule last December has made some 60 recommendations to make sure all the known shortcomings are addressed before the spacecraft is cleared for another flight, NASA managers said Friday.

Late-night launch of SpaceX cargo ship marks end of an era

March 7, 2020

Taking aim on the International Space Station, nine kerosene-burning rocket engines powered a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher into a clear sky over Florida’s Space Coast on Friday night to begin the final flight of the first version of the company’s Dragon cargo ship.

Launch timeline for SpaceX’s 20th space station resupply mission

March 6, 2020

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will go from Cape Canaveral to low Earth orbit in less than 10 minutes Friday night with a Dragon capsule heading for the International Space Station carrying more than 4,300 pounds of supplies and experiments.

Space station to receive new outdoor deck for science experiments

March 6, 2020

An Airbus-owned, German-built outdoor science deck is set for launch Friday night from Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule, heading for the International Space Station to make the orbiting research outpost more accessible for commercial space experiments.

Live coverage: Dragon supply ship arrives at space station

March 6, 2020

Wrapping up a two-day pursuit since launching from Cape Canaveral, a SpaceX Dragon supply ship arrived at the International Space Station Monday with more than two tons of cargo and experiments. The automated cargo freighter was captured by the station’s robotic arm at 6:25 a.m. EDT (1025 GMT).

Axiom strikes deal with SpaceX to ferry private astronauts to space station

March 5, 2020

Axiom Space, a Houston-based company with plans to develop a commercial outpost in space, announced Thursday it has signed a contract with SpaceX to ferry a professional astronaut and three paying passengers to the International Space Station as soon as next year on the first fully private human spaceflight mission to Earth orbit.