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from the how-soon-before-queues-appear-at-the-ISS? dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
NASA and SpaceX are closing in on the first launch of humans into orbit from US soil since 2011, when the space shuttle made its final flight.
Although the space agency has not yet said so publicly, NASA is working toward a May 7 launch of a Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station.
Asked Monday about the early May launch date, the director of Johnson Space Center, Mark Geyer, said it is tentative and that no final decisions have been made. The International Space Station and Commercial Crew programs are continuing to consult with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and the agency's chief of human spaceflight, Doug Loverro. "That's the target the two programs have agreed is reasonable, but we're still confirming with Jim and Doug really when we think we're going to launch," he said.
It's therefore possible that the Crew Dragon mission could launch any time from the second half of April through June.
[...]The Dragon spacecraft for the crew mission will arrive at Kennedy Space Center this month and is essentially ready to go aside from a few minor issues. Loverro said as much on Monday during a visit to Johnson Space Center.
"We have some subsystems that are in the vehicle that we think might need to be re-engineered with different kinds of metal, we have a tungsten incompatibility in one of the areas that we want to replace with different kinds of tubing," he said. "It's not major, but it's something that has to be done along the way."
NASA and SpaceX are also in final discussions about additional parachute tests to certify that system for flight. It's likely that SpaceX will conduct two additional tests of brand-new parachutes in the coming weeks to satisfy NASA's needs.
Mostly, however, Loverro said NASA needs to complete its analysis of data from Dragon's successful In-Flight Abort test in January and then complete paperwork for the mission.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 14 2020, @05:13PM
The difference is that the government is not a private company. The Martin company was a contractor. SpaceX might at some point launch private commercial astronauts for its own commercial (non government) purposes.
There is a difference. Maybe you don't see it as a BIG difference, but it is a difference. It is a significant development that commercial organizations can find a profitable motive for developing their own space technology -- without a government contract as the only reason to do so -- and launch their own private payloads, and other business commercial payloads.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.