America's First Crewed Space Launch in Nearly a Decade Set for May 27:
"Next month, NASA will launch its first astronaut mission from U.S. soil in almost a
decade. This mission marks the final test for SpaceX before NASA begins regularly
ferrying astronauts into orbit using the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
“BREAKING: On May 27, @NASA will once again launch American astronauts on
American rockets from American soil!” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted
Friday.
On that day, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will travel to the
International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida’s
Kennedy Space Center. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the event will not
be open to the public, and access to nearby viewing sites could also be curtailed if
Florida officials extend the state’s currently stay-at-home order. As a precaution,
NASA told Business Insider earlier this month that it was “limiting contact with crew
members” ahead of the launch in addition to other routine health safeguards, which
includes a two-week quarantine. As for how long they’ll be up there, the agency is still
mulling that over.
Since shuttering its Space Shuttle program in 2011, NASA has relied on Russia’s
space program to ferry American astronauts to the station—a space taxi service that’s
cost roughly $3.4 billion over the last nine years. Upon the success of next month’s
mission, NASA will transition to relying on SpaceX’s spacecraft to do the job as part of
the agency’s Commercial Crew Program."
See:
https://gizmodo.com/americas-first-m...e-s-1842929142