Tag: Falcon 9
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With Demo-2, NASA finds itself in foreign yet familiar territory
As the transition from government-owned crew launch rockets to commercial providers arrives, NASA launch integration is in a very different position than it has been with other human spaceflight programs like Apollo and Shuttle. With all launches, hundreds of thousands of things have to align perfectly for a rocket to lift off. And many of…
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Photos: Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon on eve of launch
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft were lowered horizontal on pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center the day before launch, allowing teams to address an issue with a chilled water loop near the top of the strongback structure. The 215-foot (65-meter) rocket, emblazoned with the U.S. flag and NASA’s “worm” and “meatball”…
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NASA chief points to SpaceX crewed launch as a unifying moment for America
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, topped by the Crew Dragon capsule, lies in a prone position at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its final pre-flight checkout. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota) President Donald Trump plans to be on hand for Wednesday’s historic test launch of NASA astronauts in SpaceX’s Crew…
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NASA signs off on historic SpaceX crewed launch, leaving weather as final uncertainty
The sun rises with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule sitting atop a Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (SpaceX Photo / Ben Cooper) Mission managers have cleared the final paperwork for SpaceX’s first-ever crewed launch, aimed at sending two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.…
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Video: Dragon astronauts practice for launch day
Following the same timeline as they will on launch day, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken put on their SpaceX flight suits and strapped inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This video released by NASA shows the astronauts suiting up inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and…
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Why those sometimes annoying launch, landing weather rules exist
There’s an age-old joke amongst those who work with/launch rockets and those who cover their missions: If the rocket is ready to go, the weather will force you to try again another day. But why do NASA, the 45th Space Wing of the Space Force, their safety officers, and all launch providers make such a…
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Dragon crew runs through launch day dress rehearsal
Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken donned their SpaceX-made launch and entry flight suits Saturday and rode to pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in a final dress rehearsal before launch day. They rode in a Tesla SUV with the license plate “ISSBND” — noting the crew’s destination of the International Space Station. The two…
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Astronauts have a surprise name for their Crew Dragon spacecraft
The Crew Dragon spacecraft sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Credit: SpaceX Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken plan to reveal a name for their Crew Dragon spaceship on the day they launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reclaiming a tradition that dates back to…
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Demo-2 passes FRR milestone ahead of historic Crew Dragon launch
The path to regaining US domestic crew launch capability passed another major milestone on Friday, with the Demo-2 mission approved at the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) level during a two-day meeting at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Approval at the FRR provided the mission with NASA’s Certification Of Flight Readiness (CoFR). With Falcon 9 and…
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SpaceX, Falcon 9 for Demo-2 mission conducts critical static fire test
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has conducted a static fire test ahead of the Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission. The static fire was part of the ongoing series of final tests and reviews before SpaceX embarks on its first human spaceflight mission. The test took place at 16:33 EDT (20:33 UTC). The test was the final time…