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NASA boss to tour SpaceX factory after feud over capsule delays

News Service
13:06 - 10/10/2019 Perşembe
Update: 13:07 - 10/10/2019 Perşembe
REUTERS
File photo
File photo

RACE TO THE STATION

SpaceX successfully launched an unpiloted Crew Dragon in March to the International Space Station, a $100 billion orbital research laboratory that flies about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth, although the date for its debut manned mission remains uncertain after repeated slips.

Musk tweeted on Tuesday that he expects all testing to be completed in 10 weeks.

NASA has stopped providing scheduling updates until it names a new associate administrator of human spaceflight operations, agency spokesman Matthew Rydin said.

The top executive for Boeing's rival Starliner program, John Mulholland, told a conference on Wednesday that a key test of an abort system that propels astronauts to safety during an emergency was slated for Nov. 4, while its unpiloted orbital test flight was set for Dec. 17.

Industry sources say that, under that time frame, the first Starliner manned mission was all but certain to slip into 2020.

With no current means of flying astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil, NASA has been paying Russia about $80 million per ticket for rides to the space station.

NASA said earlier this year it was considering paying for two more seats to the space station for this fall and the spring of 2020 to ensure U.S. access.

Four days after Musk and Bridenstine exchanged public criticism, Bridenstine said on Twitter that the two spoke by phone, which appeared to open the door for Thursday's visit.

"I'm looking forward to visiting @SpaceX in Hawthorne next Thursday," Bridenstine said on Twitter. "More to come soon!"

#Elon Musk
#Spacex
4 yıl önce