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This time, Dragon capsule's sensors, navigation computers and automated propulsion system, never before fully tested in the harsh environment of space, are supposed to maneuver the capsule in a weightless ballet to within 1.5 miles of the space station and then maintain control as Dragon drifts closer.
WSJ: SpaceX's Pioneering Flight Plans
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Dragon's rendezvous systems had never been tested before in the harsh conditions of space, with the station and the capsule racing around the Earth in tandem at about 17, 000 miles an hour.
WSJ: SpaceX Craft Rehearses Moves
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Joanne Maguire, overall head of the company's space programs, said in an interview that the Orion capsule is slated to blast off on top of a heavy-lift version of the U.S. military's Delta IV rocket.
WSJ: Lockheed Martin Sees Space Capsule Test Flight in 2013