Category: commercial crew
Coronavirus rattles NASA, but Commercial Crew and Mars Perseverance rover are on track
Most of NASA’s facilities around the country have been shut down, and while some teams can work (and drive a Mars rover) from home, others are knuckling down to get some crucial missions out the door — or face a half-billion dollar late fee, said agency head Jim Bridenstine. In…
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After an extended quarantine, the next ISS crew arrives in orbit
Working from home is easy for some and difficult for others, but one place it’s downright impossible is the International Space Station. So pandemic or no pandemic, the latest crew had to get themselves up there. They’ve just had a successful launch and arrival, but only after a protracted quarantine…
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NASA still tracking towards mid-to-late May SpaceX crew launch despite parachute mishap
NASA provided an official update about the status of its Commercial Crew program, the project it’s working on with partners SpaceX and Boeing to return astronaut launch capabilities to American soil via private launch partners. This week, SpaceX encountered an issue while testing the parachute system that will be used…
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SpaceX encounters first launch delay due to coronavirus
SpaceX has thus far managed to avoid much in the way of impact to its upcoming launch schedule, despite the widespread global coronavirus pandemic. The company successfully launched 60 more of its Starlink satellites just last week, and appears to be on track for its current mid-to-late May launch schedule…
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NASA boosts existing astronaut health protection measures in light of coronavirus
NASA is supplementing its standard protocols and processes for ensuring the health of the astronauts meant to take part in the initial commercial crew spaceflight program with added measures designed to protect them against the possibility of contracting COVID-19, Business Insider reports. It’s standard practice for the U.S. space agency…
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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is now in Florida to prep for its first flight with astronauts onboard
SpaceX has moved its Crew Dragon commercial astronaut spacecraft to Florida, the site from which it’ll launch in likely just two to three months’ time if all goes to plan. The Crew Dragon capsule is now going to undergo final testing and checkouts in Florida before its departure from Cape…
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