A SpaceX Falcon 9 will Blow Up Very Soon, and That’s OK

They say you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and there are few fields where this idiom is better exemplified than rocketry. It’s a forgone conclusion that when you develop a new booster, at least a few test articles are going to be destroyed in the process. …read more

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SpaceX Clips Dragon’s Wings After Investigation

When the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft reached orbit for the first time in 2010, it was a historic achievement. But to qualify for NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, the capsule also needed to demonstrate that it could return safely to Earth. Its predecessor, the Space Shuttle, had wings that …read more

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SpaceX confirms leaky component to blame for Crew Dragon launchpad explosion

SpaceX appeared all set to breeze past another milestone as part of its Crew Dragon testing program in April, after the spacecraft successfully completed its maiden journey to and from the International Space Station in March. But an unexpect… Continue reading SpaceX confirms leaky component to blame for Crew Dragon launchpad explosion

New Space Abort Systems go Back to the Future

Throughout the history of America’s human spaceflight program, there’s been an alternating pattern in regards to abort systems. From Alan Shepard’s first flight in 1961 on, every Mercury capsule was equipped with a Launch Escape System (LES) tower that could pull the spacecraft away from a malfunctioning rocket. But by …read more

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NASA Announces the First Astronauts Who Will Fly in the SpaceX Dragon

On Friday, NASA debuted the teams that will pilot America’s two commercial spacecraft: Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Continue reading NASA Announces the First Astronauts Who Will Fly in the SpaceX Dragon