On Saturday, SpaceX made history when it launched NASA astronauts into orbit from the United States soil. Now, the Dragon Capsule has successfully docked in the International Space Station.
The historic launch was initially set to take place last Wednesday, despite the pandemic. However, NASA and SpaceX had to postpone due to stormy clouds and downpours.
The second time was the charm.
Now, SpaceX has become the first for-profit group to launch human astronauts into orbit in a commercial spacecraft. What’s more, it’s also the first time astronauts have been sent to the International Space Station from U.S. soil since 2011.
The crewed mission was a test flight, meaning NASA and SpaceX are assessing the spacecraft’s performance. So far, the answer is very well.
According to NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the spacecraft’s performance has been impeccable.
“I’m breathing a sigh of relief,” said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. “But, I will also tell you: I’m not gonna celebrate until Bob and Doug are home safely.”
Launching NASA Astronauts into Orbit
NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley launched the Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at about 3:22 pm.
The spacecraft entered orbit roughly nine minutes after the launch. Finally, the astronauts floated into the space station at about 1:22 pm on Sunday, 22 hours after they’d left Florida.
Meanwhile, the reusable first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket returned safely to the surface. The rocket landed on the SpaceX’s drone ship, “Of Course, I Still Love You.”
“This is the culmination of a dream,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told CBS during a Tuesday interview.
“This is a dream come true. In fact, it feels surreal. If you asked me when starting SpaceX, if this would happen, I’d be like, one percent — 0.1 percent chance.”
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