Space

The US closer to putting astronauts into orbit from home soil

cde.news desk 2 March 2019, 15:03 · 1 min read

epa07405368 A handout photo made available by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft sits on a launch pad as preparations continue for the Demo-1 mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, 28 February 2019. The Demo-1 mission will be the first launch of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft and space system designed for humans as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. EPA-EFE/NASA / JOEL KOWSKY / HANDOUT MANDATORY CREDIT: NASA/JOEL KOWSKY HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

CNN reports on the successful launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.

This was a demonstration mission with no crew onboard and the launch puts SpaceX one step closer to a historic landmark: Crew Dragon could be the first commercially built spacecraft to carry NASA astronauts to orbit.

Crew Dragon, along with a capsule called Starliner by Boeing, could end the United States’ decade-long reliance on Russia for human spaceflight.

The US has been unable to put humans into orbit ever since it retired the Space Shuttle program in 2011.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk said that Saturday’s launch could be the first step towards opening space travel to commercial customers.

SpaceX’s capsule is now en route to the International Space Station.

Via CNN and NASA

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The US closer to putting astronauts into orbit from home soil

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