Hasta La Gadget!

SpaceX has been NASA’s most successful commercial space partner. SpaceX became the first company to successfully dock a private spacecraft with the International Space Station and return its ship to Earth safely. SpaceX has announced that it has now completed the design review of its Dragon space capsule. This marks the conclusion of both the primary and secondary design element review for the spacecraft, which is also designed to carry astronauts into orbit.

The key focus for the review was safety with SpaceX presenting NASA with an analysis of how the SuperDraco launch abort system would perform in an emergency. While SpaceX has completed its design review for the Dragon capsule, Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson has announced that the company’s first spaceflight will be a family affair.

Branson has announced that his two adult children will join him on Virgin Galactic’s first space flight next year. The flight will take Branson and his two adult children 62 miles above the Earth aboard SpaceshipTwo. Branson and his company have about 120 other tourists signed up to take the $200,000 two-hour trip into space.

[via Yahoo and Sacbee]

SpaceX completes Dragon design review, Branson to take his kids on first spaceflight next year is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

SpaceX has announced a successful test of its new rocket engine. The new engine is dubbed the Merlin 1D. The company bills the rocket engine as the most efficient booster engine ever built. The engine was able to produce a massive 147,000 pounds of thrust in a stationary position.

The rocket engine demonstrated the ability to achieve “the full duration and power required for a Falcon 9 rocket launch.” The successful test clears the way for the engine to continue development with the goal of being deployed in the real world at some point in 2013. The new engine uses fewer parts and more robotic construction techniques than the older engine.

The older engine SpaceX used was part of the successful mission to the ISS recently. SpaceX was kind enough to record the test so we can watch the flaming glory and the future of the company’s private space program. The test lasted 185 seconds.

[via The Verge]

SpaceX tests new rocket engine is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.