Tag: SpaceX
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NASA oversight of CCDev-2 Partners reveals progress milestones
NASA’s key Commercial Crew Development (CCDev-2) drive appears to be progressing to plan, as four companies press on with the development of their manned vehicles, with an aim to transport crews to the International Space Station (ISS) by the middle of this decade – aided by Agency money, whilst allowing for the key oversight from…
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Discovery’s VAB stay part of a commercial transition for the OPFs
With Discovery now enjoying a month-long vacation inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), following her rollover on Wednesday, the long-term future for the Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs) will be heavily focused on attracting the new fleet of commercial vehicles, as the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) transitions into a multi-purpose spaceport. Discovery in the VAB: Following…
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Discovery’s VAB stay part of a commercial transition for the OPFs
With Discovery now enjoying a month-long vacation inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), following her rollover on Wednesday, the long-term future for the Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs) will be heavily focused on attracting the new fleet of commercial vehicles, as the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) transitions into a multi-purpose spaceport. Discovery in the VAB: Following…
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Tech Demos: NASA preparing for full ISS utilization in post-Shuttle era
With the US Segment of the International Space Station (ISS) now complete, NASA managers are turning their attention away from the era of construction and maintenance of the station and toward the new era of utilization, which includes advanced technology demos ranging from beam energy transfer to robotic servicing. ISS heading into its next phase: As noted…
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Tech Demos: NASA preparing for full ISS utilization in post-Shuttle era
With the US Segment of the International Space Station (ISS) now complete, NASA managers are turning their attention away from the era of construction and maintenance of the station and toward the new era of utilization, which includes advanced technology demos ranging from beam energy transfer to robotic servicing. ISS heading into its next phase: As noted…
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NASA managers aligning to combine final Dragon COTS test missions
NASA HQ appear to be closing in on a decision to combine the second and third of three planned Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) demonstration flights (C2 and C3) of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. Internal schedules, presentations and memos are continuing to point towards a working plan for a preliminary November 30 launch date for the…
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Four companies win big money via NASA’s CCDEV-2 awards
NASA has awarded four Space Act Agreements in the second round of the agency’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev-2), a commercial effort aimed to foster domestic crew transportation by the middle of the decade. The winners – ranging from lifting body to capsule spacecrafts – were Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and…
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SpaceX: Falcon Heavy, Falcon 9 tag team set to share 20 launches a year
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) head Elon Musk revealed their latest launch vehicle on Tuesday, the Falcon Heavy. Effectively three Falcon 9 core stages strapped together, the new vehicle – set to debut as soon as 2013 – will be the most powerful US rocket to have launched since the Saturn V was built for the…
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Wrapping Up 2010: Safety and Success with an eye toward the Future
As NASA enters 2011, preparations are underway for an exciting new venture in space operations with the development of commercial transportation services to the International Space Station, the creation of a 21st Century launch facility at KSC, and development of a new Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle for NASA – all as the U.S. and world space…
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Falcon 9 completes Static Fire at the third attempt
As part of a full launch dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, SpaceX conduct a static fire of their Falcon 9 launch vehicle on Saturday, in preparation for the first Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) launch of the Dragon spacecraft. Friday’s static fire was aborted at 1.1 seconds due to high chamber readings Engine…