NASA – Page 65 – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX to begin flights under new cargo resupply contract next year

August 2, 2019 Stephen Clark

SpaceX is set to retire its current fleet of Dragon capsules, in use since 2010, next year and begin flying supplies to the International Space Station on a new variant of the Dragon spacecraft based on the model in development to carry astronauts.

Mars 2020 rover on track for launch next July

July 31, 2019 Stephen Clark

The launch of NASA’s Mars 2020 rover is less than a year away, and the steady pace of work inside the craft’s pristine assembly hall in California is keeping the mission on schedule for liftoff from Cape Canaveral next July, despite growing costs, according to mission managers.

Photos: SpaceX completes resupply run to International Space Station

July 29, 2019 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Dragon capsule packed with more than 5,000 pounds of hardware, provisions and experiments launched July 25 from Cape Canaveral and arrived at the International Space Station two days later.

SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule arrives at space station

July 27, 2019 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Dragon supply ship arrived at the International Space Station Saturday carrying a new docking mechanism, a spacesuit for future spacewalks, and a 3D bioprinter to test the feasibility of manufacturing human tissue in microgravity.

New docking port, spacesuit and supplies en route to space station

July 25, 2019 Stephen Clark

A break in thunderstorms streaming across Central Florida allowed a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo capsule to blast off Thursday from Cape Canaveral in pursuit of the International Space Station with a new docking mechanism, a spacesuit and 40 mice acting as high-flying research specimens.

Threatening storms scrub SpaceX launch

July 24, 2019 Stephen Clark

SpaceX called off a Falcon 9 countdown Wednesday due to the threat of lightning from thunderstorms along Florida’s Space Coast, pushing back the departure of a cargo mission for the International Space Station until Thursday.

Video: SpaceX CRS-18 pre-launch press conference

July 24, 2019 Stephen Clark

NASA and SpaceX officials briefed the media Wednesday on the planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo capsule on a resupply flight to the International Space Station.

Live coverage: SpaceX cargo ship arrives at space station

July 24, 2019 Stephen Clark

Nearly two days after launching from Cape Canaveral, SpaceX’s Dragon cargo craft arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday with more than 5,000 pounds of supplies, food, experiments and a new docking mechanism. Astronauts aboard the station captured Dragon using the Canadian-built robotic arm at 9:11 a.m. EDT (1311 GMT).

NASA taps Northrop Grumman in sole-source agreement to build Gateway habitat

July 23, 2019 Stephen Clark

Racing against the clock to meet the Trump administration’s 2024 deadline to land astronauts on the moon, NASA plans to select Northrop Grumman to build a pressurized habitation module derived from the company’s Cygnus cargo craft for living quarters for crews transiting to and from the lunar surface.

Chris Kraft, legendary flight director, dies at 95

July 22, 2019 William Harwood

Former Johnson Space Center Director Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr., the man who created the iconic role of NASA flight director during the Mercury and Gemini programs and whose no-nonsense, uncompromising management style defined control room operations and discipline through the Apollo years and beyond, died Monday. He was 95.