Crew Dragon
NASA selects astronauts for Crew Dragon mission
NASA has completed the crew for the first operational SpaceX commercial crew mission to the International Space Station, one that will not include any Russian cosmonauts after Roscosmos officials said they would not fly on what they consider an unproven vehicle.
SpaceX reports problem during Crew Dragon parachute test
SpaceX said March 24 that one of the final parachute tests for its Crew Dragon spacecraft went awry, a problem it blamed on the test setup and not a flaw with the parachutes themselves.
NASA targets May for Crew Dragon test flight
NASA announced March 18 it plans to perform a crewed flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, with two NASA astronauts on board, as soon as the latter half of May.
Axiom to fly Crew Dragon mission to the space station
Axiom Space, a company with ambitions to develop a private space station, announced March 5 that it has signed a contract with SpaceX for a commercial Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station.
‘Gravity is a shockingly strong force’: Astronauts Nick Hague and Anne McClain talk about life after their space station missions
Astronauts Nick Hague and Anne McClain spoke with SpaceNews during a trip to Washington in mid-January, just before SpaceX’s in-flight abort test, that included both outreach events and meetings with members of Congress.
NASA preparing for long-duration SpaceX commercial crew test flight
NASA is leaning increasingly towards making SpaceX’s crewed test flight to the International Space Station a long-duration mission, a move that could alleviate concerns about a lack of crew on the station later this year.
Space Adventures to fly tourists on Crew Dragon mission
Space Adventures announced Feb. 18 that it has an agreement with SpaceX to fly a dedicated Crew Dragon mission that would send four space tourists on a mission to a relatively high Earth orbit.
NASA safety panel calls for reviews after second Starliner software problem
A NASA safety panel is recommending a review of Boeing’s software verification processes after revealing there was a second software problem during a CST-100 Starliner test flight that could have led to a “catastrophic” failure.
NASA considering extended Crew Dragon test flight to ISS
NASA will decide in the coming weeks whether to extend a crewed SpaceX test flight to the International Space Station, a move that could help alleviate a crew time crunch on the station.
SpaceX performs in-flight abort test of Crew Dragon spacecraft
SpaceX successfully tested the abort system of its Crew Dragon spacecraft Jan. 19, one of the final milestones before a crewed test flight that could take place as soon as this spring.
SpaceX to test Crew Dragon launch abort system
NASA and SpaceX are ready to perform a test of the launch abort system of the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft that will also serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts for upcoming crewed flights of the vehicle.
SpaceX ready for Crew Dragon in-flight abort test
SpaceX performed a successful static-fire test Jan. 11 of the Falcon 9 booster that will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a test of its abort system.
SpaceX’s 2020 ambitions tempered by 2019 outcomes
SpaceX enters 2020 with ambitious launch, spacecraft and other plans, but those expectations are modulated by what that company achieved, and didn’t achieve, in 2019.
New dates set for commercial crew test flights
SpaceX will conduct an in-flight abort test of its Crew Dragon spacecraft in early January as the launch of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on an uncrewed test flight slips another day, NASA announced Dec. 6.
Inspector general report says NASA risks losing access to the ISS in 2020
NASA’s inspector general warned in a new report that, because of commercial crew delays, utilization of the International Space Station will drop sharply in 2020 and that NASA runs the risk of losing access entirely by next fall.
SpaceX tests Crew Dragon abort thrusters
SpaceX successfully tested Nov. 13 the thrusters used as part of the abort system for its Crew Dragon spacecraft, nearly seven months after a similar test resulted in the loss of another spacecraft.
