SpaceX Cleared to Take Astronauts to ISS

Launching US Astronauts from Florida

Source:  NASA

1st Human Spaceflight from US Since 2011

After nearly a decade of absence, human

spaceflights will launch from US

soil on May 27, 2020. SpaceX, 

founded by entrepreneur  Elon Musk,

will launch its CrewDragon

rocket with two US astronauts

onboard and crewing the space

vehicle.  Their destination is the

International Space Station.  This

mission is a series of historic

firsts in space.

Space Firsts

This is the first crewed mission for

SpaceX since CEO Elon Musk

founded the company in 2002. And, it's the

first time a rocket will carry 

astronauts into orbit from US soil 

since 2011.  That's when NASA

retired its space shuttle program.

And there's yet another first.

The public cannot attend the launch.

History Being Made

Because of COVID-19, the

public cannot attend the 

launch at Cape Canaveral,

Florida. The launch

is historic for several more

reasons.  Since 2011,

Russia has been the only

nation shuttling astronauts to

the International Space Station (ISS).

The cost to NASA has been as high 

as $86 million per seat. Now, 

commercial companies like SpaceX

are competing for the business.

This is a major new avenue of

business growth in the

commercialization of space.

NASA is the Customer

Once aboard the ISS, the

two US astronauts could be

working in space for 110 days.

Then, they will return on the

CrewDragon capsule and splash

down in the Atlantic off Florida.

Interestingly, NASA is the

customer in this latest space

journey.  SpaceX owns and

operates Crew Dragon. This

is a brand new leg of the journey

with companies

commercializing journeys 

into space.

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