For the first time since 2011, astronauts will launch from Cape Canaveral later this afternoon.
The last time astronauts launched to the International Space Station was back in July of 2011. STS-135 was the final Space Shuttle mission and launched on July 8th. Since then, humans have been going to space via Russian Soyuz rockets. Today that streak comes to an end.
Weather permitting, SpaceX and NASA plan to launch the first crewed mission of the Crew Dragon. This capsule has gone through extensive testing and this is the final test, one that will have a crew on board. The capsule will launch aboard the powerful Falcon 9 rocket.
First launched in 2010, the Falcon 9 rocket is the first rocket to feature re-usable boosters that land themselves after launch (a feat accomplished in 2015). It is just slightly taller than the Space Shuttle at 230ft tall and uses 9 Merlin 1D engines to provide thrust. Eventually, the Falcon rockets are expected to launch humans to the moon and Mars. The Falcoln 9 has seen 84 total launches so far with two failures during it’s development.
Two astronauts will be aboard the launch today. Both Joint Operations Commander Robert Behnken and Spacecraft Commander Douglas Hurley have been training for this mission for years. Both flew twice on the Space Shuttle, with Hurley having been the robotics operator for the final mission in 2011. Both men served as test pilots in the US Military before joining NASA as astronauts in 2000.
Today’s launch will also mark the first time a private company has launched humans into space. SpaceX has been working tirelessly since 2002 to build a cost-effective rocket capable of putting humans in orbit.
The craft will launch from historic Launchpad 39A from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch is scheduled for 4:33PM EST. Be sure to tune in to NASA’s livestream to see the launch yourself!
cover photo courtesy of NASA
