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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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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The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched on its maiden flight Wednesday, beginning a series of demonstration missions as part of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) programme. The mission, known as Dragon C1, launched from Cape Canaveral atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 10:43am Eastern, before the spacecraft splashed down around 19:00 UTC.
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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 [...]
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The DragonEye (DE) relative navigation sensor – set to ride with Discovery on STS-133 – will be installed two weeks later than planned, following a laser rod failure during testing. Discovery – currently enjoying a smooth processing flow – will be conducting the second test for the sensor during her arrival at the International Space [...]
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Following its arrival onboard shuttle Atlantis during STS-129, the CRS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) – a key element for the upcoming demonstration of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule – has passed a series of tests on the International Space Station (ISS), allowing the commercial company to confirm its successful activation.
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NASA managers are pushing through the shutdown of the Constellation Program (CxP) at a pace, with a series of memos showing all the Ares test flights have already been cancelled, along Orion ‘defunded’ and returned to the sole control of contractor Lockheed Martin. Meanwhile, MOD director Paul Hill has written to NASA administrator Charlie Bolden, [...]
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When STS-129 launches next week, Atlantis will have one eye on the future, as she carries the CRS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU), a key element for the upcoming demonstration of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, ahead of its debut arrival at the International Space Station (ISS) in 2010.
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With Space Shuttle Endeavour now well into her OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility) flow for her triple duty requirements as LON (Launch On Need) vehicle for STS-119 and STS-125 and her primary mission on STS-127, the Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) has completed the Delta Launch Site Requirements Review (DLSRR) for STS-127, a critical step toward [...]
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SpaceX chief Elon Musk has spoke of his desire to make Falcon 9 the first fully reusable launch vehicle, which he would “love” to include a flyback first stage. Musk also noted he is aiming for Falcon 9 to launch in under 60 minutes from the moment they leave their hangers.
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