[ad_1] Whenever there’s a return, it’ll mark the successful completion of the first round trip of a private crewed space capsule. While this kind of mission won’t be routine for a long time, it represents an important moment in the shift away from strictly government-run spaceflight. The next major step may involve flights with civilians. […]
Category: international space station
SpaceX’s pioneering astronauts board the International Space Station
[ad_1] The astronauts’ primary mission, called Demo-2, is a final test of the Crew Dragon’s performance before NASA certifies it for ISS crewed transport missions. However, NASA decided to extend their stay so that Cassidy wouldn’t be the lone US astronaut aboard the ISS. “The SpaceX crew, with Chris Cassidy already on-board the International Space […]
SpaceX Crew Dragon docks with the International Space Station
[ad_1] SpaceX just completed another milestone in Crew Dragon’s historic journey. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have successfully docked the capsule with the International Space Station just under 19 hours after launch from Cape Canaveral. The largely automated process was uneventful. The crew tested manual operation at one point, which they said behaved much […]
Space Station receives the last of NASA’s science racks after 19 years
[ad_1] One of the longer chapters of the International Space Station has come to a close. NASA has sent the last of its 11 ExPRESS (Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station) science racks to the orbiting facility, 19 years after sending the first two. They don’t look like much, but they provide […]
SpaceX Crew Dragon simulator shows what it’s like to dock with the ISS
[ad_1] You don’t have to train as an astronaut to know what it’s like to pilot Crew Dragon — you just need a web browser and some patience. TechCrunch notes that SpaceX has launched a web simulator that lets you dock the capsule with the International Space Station using the “actual interface” the crew relies […]
NASA is helping Tom Cruise film a movie in space
[ad_1] The title is reportedly in the very early stages, with no studio involved and no release window. SpaceX doesn’t expect to offer tourist flights aboard Crew Dragon until the second half of 2021 at the earliest. It’s not shocking that both sides would be eager to work with each other. Cruise is well-known for […]
NASA picks space tourism outfit for its first commercial ISS module
[ad_1] Axiom won the nod as part of a competition that offered private outfits access to station facilities and a port of their own. It’s now negotiating a contract that will include a five-year “base performance” period and a two-year option. It’s not certain when Axiom’s module will be ready, although it’s aiming to offer […]
A Lego version of the International Space Station is coming February 1st
[ad_1] The set came out of a competition Lego held last year for the 10th anniversary of its Ideas program. The initiative allows fans to submit concepts they’d like to see the company manufacture and sell. With 10,438 votes, the model won 45.6 percent of the community vote, beating out tough opponents like this adorable […]
Elon Musk expects SpaceX’s first crewed mission between April and June
[ad_1] Now that SpaceX has completed Crew Dragon’s in-flight launch escape test, when can you expect a mission with humans aboard? At last, the company has a more specific answer than early 2020. Company chief Elon Musk told attendees at a post-test conference that the crewed mission to the International Space Station will likely take […]
Christina Koch breaks record for longest spaceflight by a woman
[ad_1] This won’t be the longest spaceflight of all time. Scott Kelly set the US record by staying in space for 340 consecutive days between 2015 and 2016, while Russia’s Valeri Polyakov spent just over 437 days aboard Mir. It’s still a very long stretch, however, and it comes on the back of Koch joining […]