Space X Dragon Crew Capsule docks with the ISS in first test flight.

[MacNut]

The first flight with a crew could happen this summer.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule has been tested in a vacuum, jostled in an acoustic chamber and put through computer simulations. But there's only one way to know for sure how a spacecraft will work: Strap it to a rocket, and let it fly.

NASA hopes the Crew Dragon, and a Boeing-built capsule called Starliner, will start flying US astronauts later this year and end the United States' years-long reliance on Russia to ferry crew to and from the International Space Station.
Crew Dragon's first test mission launched early Saturday, and a risky and crucial test came Sunday morning when the capsule docked with the International Space Station.
Everything went smoothly — and a lot was riding on it.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/03/tech...ocking-international-space-station/index.html

 

[A.Goldberg]

It’s good to see America finally getting back to have a space transportation program. It’s been far too long.

That said, transport to the ISS really isn’t that exciting. We’ve been doing that for decades. What I’m looking forward to most in the near future is the James Webb Space Telescope. It’s only 14 years late right now, expected to be launched in 2021, but I expect amazing results if it works. The technology is quite impressive, over two decades in the making, but the complexity is worrying.

 

[MacNut]

It’s good to see America finally getting back to have a space transportation program. It’s been far too long.

That said, transport to the ISS really isn’t that exciting. We’ve been doing that for decades. What I’m looking forward to most in the near future is the James Webb Space Telescope. It’s only 14 years late right now, expected to be launched in 2021, but I expect amazing results if it works. The technology is quite impressive, over two decades in the making, but the complexity is worrying.

Agreed, I have a thread on the James Webb that I need to update soon. I think it is almost done with it's testing.

 

[ucfgrad93]

This is great news.

 

[PracticalMac]

It’s good to see America finally getting back to have a space transportation program. It’s been far too long.

That said, transport to the ISS really isn’t that exciting. We’ve been doing that for decades. What I’m looking forward to most in the near future is the James Webb Space Telescope. It’s only 14 years late right now, expected to be launched in 2021, but I expect amazing results if it works. The technology is quite impressive, over two decades in the making, but the complexity is worrying.

Any launch is exciting!
There is far less margin for errors, and failures have greater chance of fatalities.

As I have posted in past, the US must, MUST, commercialize space launch, and amazingly it has happened.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Any launch is exciting!
There is far less margin for errors, and failures have greater chance of fatalities.

As I have posted in past, the US must, MUST, commercialize space launch, and amazingly it has happened.

It’s not that I don’t think it’s interesting, I just find it less interesting than projects with more of a scientific or vastly revolutionary technology.

I saw the Trump administration is looking to cut the SLS budget, which would affect its full development. I honestly feel bad for how much NASA’s budget and direction gets tossed around. It would be nice if NASA worked on a more stable budget.

 

[quagmire]

It’s not that I don’t think it’s interesting, I just find it less interesting than projects with more of a scientific or vastly revolutionary technology.

I saw the Trump administration is looking to cut the SLS budget, which would affect its full development. I honestly feel bad for how much NASA’s budget and direction gets tossed around. It would be nice if NASA worked on a more stable budget.

I agree NASA has been a political football at the mercy of every president's agenda.

SLS should be cancelled outright especially with Trump's budget proposal( which I doubt Congress will agree with. SLS doesn't stand for Senate Launch System for nothing) pretty much turning it into a launch vehicle for Orion. That's a very expensive launch vehicle which capabilities will not be used.

 

[Akoni 2011]

Seeing the splash down brings back the memories of Apollo back to me.
Great to see new adventures are ahead!
Greetz from an old Apollo freak in Holland.

 

[quagmire]

Looks like we may be waiting a bit longer now.... Conducting a static fire of the SuperDraco's using the DM-1 capsule( slated for the in flight abort test), suffered an issue on the final test.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/04/spacexs-crew-dragon-spacecraft-anomaly-static-fire-testing/