During a test yesterday, SpaceX fired up the engines on one of its Falcon 9 rockets, a vehicle that will perform a crucial test flight for NASA in the months ahead. It’s the rocket that will carry SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon capsule to space for the first time to prove that the spacecraft is ready to ferry NASA astronauts. The mission is vital to the future of NASA’s human spaceflight program, but the ongoing government shutdown is casting a shadow over preparations for the flight.
For the last five years, SpaceX and aerospace competitor Boeing have been developing spacecraft for NASA to transport the agency’s astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The two vehicles, Crew Dragon and CST-100 Starliner, will be the primary way…
from The Verge – All Posts http://bit.ly/2TeFexd
via IFTTT