SpaceX Dragon Spaceship: Safety Panel Includes Former Astronauts and Space Experts

Credit: SpaceX/Dragon Spacecraft

The private spaceflght company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is aiming to launch the first crewed commercial spaceship to the International Space Station and has assembled a team of experts and former astronauts to help make it happen.

To that end, the Hawthorne, Calif., based SpaceX has established an independent safety advisory panel has been established to provide an objective review of the company's Dragon space capsule and its carrier, the Falcon 9 rocket, the company announced Thursday (March 29).

SpaceX is already designing an unmanned capsule, called Dragon, to bring supplies to and from the space station. A crucial test flight of the Dragon capsule is scheduled to occur on April 30, but the company is also working toward its other goal of one day using a version of Dragon to taxi astronauts to the orbiting outpost.

"When it comes to manned spaceflight, safety is our top priority," Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO and chief designer, said in a statement. "These experts will provide us with important insights as we prepare to carry astronauts on the next generation of American spacecraft."

SpaceX capsule not allowed to dock with ISS

The U.S. private space capsule Dragon will conduct a flight near the International Space Station (ISS), but docking between them is not planned, Vladimir Solovyov, head of the Russian segment of the ISS mission control center said on Friday.

The California-based Space Exploration Technologies company, better known as SpaceX, has earlier announced plans to launch its Dragon capsule toward the orbiting lab on November 30, with a historic docking slated for nine days later.

"Over the last several months, SpaceX has been hard at work preparing for our next flight - a mission designed to demonstrate that a privately-developed space transportation system can deliver cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS)," the company said.

"A flight by the Dragon to the ISS, but without berthing, has tentatively been scheduled for the end of this year. Though, I do not know, whether it'll fly or not," Solovyov said.

SpaceX and other companies have been given funds out of NASA's special commercial package to provide cargo resupply and human spaceflight capabilities. SpaceX, widely considered to be the frontrunner in this endeavor, has already sent its Dragon capsule into orbit, proving that its space launch infrastructure is viable.

Earlier Russia said it will not allow the SpaceX vehicle to dock with the ISS unless its safety is fully tested.

"We will not issue docking permission unless the necessary level of reliability and safety is proven," said Alexei Krasov, head of the human spaceflight department of Roscosmos. "So far we have no proof that this spacecraft duly comply with the accepted norms of spaceflight safety."

Nine dead in China firework factory blast: state media

Nine dead in China firework factory blast: state media

Nine workers were killed and eight others injured by an explosion in a fireworks factory in northern China, state-run media reported Saturday.

The blast happened Friday at the Xinping Firecrackers Co Ltd in Shaanxi province, destroying all of the seven workshops producing festive explosives, Xinhua news agency said, citing the local work safety bureau.

More than 100 people were in the factory at the time.

The eight injured workers were taken to hospital. Four were in serious condition.

The factory boss, Qu Pingxin, who fled after the blast, surrendered to police on Saturday, Xinhua said.

China has a huge fireworks industry notorious for its lax safety standards.

The central government has announced a number of campaigns in recent years to make the industry safer, but accidents, mostly at illegal or poorly run workshops, continue to occur in the drive for profits.