Everything you need to know about SpaceX’s historic Demo-2 launch, its first with NASA astronauts
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/26/spacex-demo-2-nasa-astronaut-launch-everything-you-need-to-know.html
SpaceX is set for its most important milestone, a launch that may well define the future of the U.S. space program.
Elon Musk’s company plans to launch two NASA astronauts on Wednesday — the first crewed mission in SpaceX history. The mission, called Demo-2, is technically the final test flight of the company’s spacecraft. Regardless of the nature of the mission, Demo-2 will be the first launch of NASA astronauts from the U.S. since 2011.
“This is a new generation, a new era in spaceflight,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said.
Ever since the Space Shuttle retired nearly a decade ago, the U.S. has paid Russia upwards of $80 million per seat to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. But NASA awarded SpaceX and Boeing with contracts worth $3.1 billion and $4.8 billion, respectively, to develop new spacecraft under a program called Commercial Crew. For SpaceX, the Demo-2 launch represents the final flight test of its Crew Dragon capsule, built to carry as many as seven people to orbit.
“We need to have the capability of accessing space — not just for NASA, but for all of humanity,” Bridenstine said.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/26/spacex-demo-2-nasa-astronaut-launch-everything-you-need-to-know.html
SpaceX is set for its most important milestone, a launch that may well define the future of the U.S. space program.
Elon Musk’s company plans to launch two NASA astronauts on Wednesday — the first crewed mission in SpaceX history. The mission, called Demo-2, is technically the final test flight of the company’s spacecraft. Regardless of the nature of the mission, Demo-2 will be the first launch of NASA astronauts from the U.S. since 2011.
“This is a new generation, a new era in spaceflight,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said.
Ever since the Space Shuttle retired nearly a decade ago, the U.S. has paid Russia upwards of $80 million per seat to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. But NASA awarded SpaceX and Boeing with contracts worth $3.1 billion and $4.8 billion, respectively, to develop new spacecraft under a program called Commercial Crew. For SpaceX, the Demo-2 launch represents the final flight test of its Crew Dragon capsule, built to carry as many as seven people to orbit.
“We need to have the capability of accessing space — not just for NASA, but for all of humanity,” Bridenstine said.
