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SpaceX Marks Historic Launch Cadence and Crew Dragon Docking

In a 24-hour period, SpaceX successfully launched three Falcon 9 rockets and conducted a Starship countdown rehearsal, while the Crew Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS.

The Crew-8 astronaut Alexander Grebenkin, talks with family before headong to the launch pad Sunday, March 3 2024.
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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft launches NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin aboard at 10:53 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 3, 2024, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the station, and the ninth flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Credit: NASA/Cory S Huston
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Overview

  • SpaceX achieves a historic launch cadence with three Falcon 9 rocket launches and a Starship countdown rehearsal within 24 hours.
  • The Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docks with the International Space Station, bringing four new crew members for a six-month mission.
  • SpaceX's next Starship test flight is pending FAA approval, following the closure of an investigation into the previous test flight's explosions.
  • The rapid sequence of launches demonstrates SpaceX's operational capabilities across multiple facilities and control centers.
  • SpaceX plans early-stage testing of in-space refueling technology on the next Starship flight, crucial for future missions to the Moon.