SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour, flying for a record-tying sixth time, delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station after a 1 August 11:43 a.m. EDT launch from Kennedy Space Center. The capsule docked at 2:27 a.m. EDT on 2 August, bringing NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov into Expedition 73 for a roughly six-month science rotation. Their arrival sets up a hand-over with Crew Dragon Endurance and the Crew-10 contingent—NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA’s Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos’ Kirill Peskov—who have spent more than 140 days in orbit. NASA and SpaceX plan to undock Endurance no earlier than 12:05 p.m. ET on 7 August, targeting an 11:58 a.m. ET splashdown the next day in the Pacific Ocean off California, the Commercial Crew Program’s first West Coast recovery. High winds at the landing zone have already forced at least one postponement. Separately at Starbase in Texas, SpaceX is preparing Starship Flight 10. Ship 37 completed single- and six-engine static-fire tests on 2 August but was rolled back for a Raptor Vacuum engine replacement, prompting installation of the static-fire adapter for a repeat test. Booster 16 has been staged in the Rocket Garden while documentation and a Notice to Mariners point to a 17 August launch window, a date likely to move right by about a week as additional testing proceeds.
Le vol de la fusée Starship vers Mars avec son curieux « passager » a une date https://t.co/L6jQkLi4xO
APCL Group @CammellLaird is currently undertaking planned maintenance and upgrades to @RFATidesurge in 5 dock and SALMO capability insertion work on @RFAProteus in no.7 dock in Brikenhead. A&P Tyne is progressing @RFALymeBay Contractor Support Period in no.1 dock. A&P Falmouth https://t.co/yg7UqWjX86
Due to high-winds at the splashdown sites off the coast of California, Dragon is standing down from today’s undocking from the @Space_Station. The spacecraft and Crew-10 crew remain healthy, and teams will continue to monitor weather conditions for the next available undocking