Tag: ISS

SpaceX Carrying A Doorway to the Future in Dragon’s Trunk

SpaceX Carrying A Doorway to the Future in Dragon’s Trunk

After completing a successful static test fire on Saturday morning, SpaceX is ready to begin the countdown in earnest to Sunday evening’s planned launch of its Dragon spacecraft on the CRS-9 mission. And while the robust little spaceship will be loaded with nearly 5,000 lbs of research and support equipment for the orbiting outpost, none […]

SpaceX, Blue Origin and Orbital ATK Make for Busy Week in Commercial Space

SpaceX, Blue Origin and Orbital ATK Make for Busy Week in Commercial Space

  It is a busy week for commercial space. Orbital ATK  An Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo vessel departed the International Space Station at 9:30 AM EDT this morning, heading for its usual path of destruction high over the Pacific Ocean, but not before it performs a unique fire in space experiment, as well as releases […]

Posted in: Uncategorized
Bigelow’s BEAM Successfully Expands, Pressurizes at ISS

Bigelow’s BEAM Successfully Expands, Pressurizes at ISS

After a slow start brought about by a combination of extreme caution on NASA’s part, Bigelow Aerospace’s BEAM was successfully expanded to its full dimensions on Saturday. From NASA.gov: “Pressurization of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) began at 4:34 p.m. EDT, and the eight tanks filled with air completed full pressurization of the module […]

CRS-8 Dragon Makes Safe Return

CRS-8 Dragon Makes Safe Return

    NASA Press Release: May 11, 2016 RELEASE 16-052 Critical NASA Science Returns to Earth aboard SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 2:51 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 11, about 261 miles southwest of Long Beach, California, with more than 3,700 pounds of NASA cargo, science […]

Bigelow’s BEAM Installed on ISS

Bigelow’s BEAM Installed on ISS

From NASA.gov: Following extraction from Dragon, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was installed to the International Space Station at 5:36 a.m. EDT. At the time of installation, the space station was flying over the Southern Pacific Ocean. It will remain attached to station for two-year test period. NASA is investigating concepts for habitats that […]

Bigelow Aerospace & ULA Propose a Major Expansion of the International Space Station

Bigelow Aerospace & ULA Propose a Major Expansion of the International Space Station

On Sunday, the SpaceX CRS-8 Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station, carrying in its “trunk” the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module or BEAM. Based on a press conference held today at the 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs however, BEAM may be only the beginning of Bigelow’s presence at ISS, and the future may […]

Launch Day

Launch Day

NASA and SpaceX are eagerly counting down to the launch of the CRS-8 resupply mission to the International Space Station later today. Liftoff, which must take place in an instantaneous window, is scheduled for 4:43 pm EDT from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40. The CRS-8 mission will mark the third flight of the upgraded […]

Posted in: SpaceX
Sweet Home Alabama: Dream Chaser Aims for Huntsville Landings

Sweet Home Alabama: Dream Chaser Aims for Huntsville Landings

The “Rocket City” may be taking a big step in seeing some of its storied history coming home, literally, in the form of a descending Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser space plane. Yesterday, officials in Huntsville, Al held an industry session to promote Dream Chaser landings in the city that helped launch America into the space […]

Progress 63 Lifts Off to ISS, SpaceX CRS-8 is Next

Progress 63 Lifts Off to ISS, SpaceX CRS-8 is Next

The second of three tightly paced supply missions to the International Space Station has lifted off from Baikonour, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz booster carrying the Progress 63 cargo ship lifted off at 11:23:57 CDT (10:23 PM local) carrying 3 tons of food, fuel and supplies. After a 2 day transfer, it will dock with the aft […]

Posted in: Russian Space
A BEAMing Opportunity: Next SpaceX Flight Offers Promise of an “Expanding” Future in Space

A BEAMing Opportunity: Next SpaceX Flight Offers Promise of an “Expanding” Future in Space

  Next Friday, April 8th, SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. As the company’s first commercial cargo flight to ISS since disaster struck the CRS-7 mission on June 28th, 2015, it was already due to attract a great deal of attention. But given what will be riding to […]

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