Crew Dragon

Space Adventures has announced that it has signed an agreement with SpaceX to fly paying passengers aboard the aerospace company's Crew Dragon spacecraft, which will mark the first time that space tourists will be launched aboard an American rocket.

Science stands still for no one, and with a new year comes a new calendar of exciting events in spaceflight and exploration. New Atlas rounds up some of the most important milestones to look forward to in 2020.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 booster have completed an inflight launch escape demonstration. On January 19, 2020, the rocket and the unmanned capsule lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for the eight-minute final flight test.

SpaceX has experienced some setbacks since docking an unmanned Crew Dragon capsule with the International Space Station back in March, but the company is continuing to edge towards the next launch of the spacecraft. A video shared on Twitter today shows the vehicle's parachutes in action, with SpaceX claiming to have now successfully completed 13 drop tests in a row.

SpaceX is continuing to test out the key components of a vehicle built to return human spaceflight to US soil, with an upgraded launch escape system for its Crew Dragon capsule the latest to be put through its paces.

Following an April explosion, SpaceX is now correcting course with a successful new engine test under its Falcon 9 rocket.

An unexpected explosion during engine testing of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule threw up some questions about both the program timeline and dependability of its vehicles, which it is now offering some answers to following joint investigations with NASA.

​Following its successful liftoff and entry into orbit on Saturday, SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft has ticked off another critical milestone in its first mission to space, successfully docking with the ISS following a first-of-a-kind maneuver

​​Following a series of delays and setbacks, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is finally set for proper lift-off, with NASA today announcing it is targeting March 2 for the spacecraft’s maiden voyage into orbit.

​SpaceX has been sending its unmanned Dragon spacecraft on resupply missions to the International Space Station since 2012, and now a version decked out for human rides is edging closer to joining in the fun.