On Friday, SpaceX used a recycled rocket and capsule to send four astronauts into orbit.
At 5:49 a.m. EDT, SpaceX launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida (2:49 AM EDT).
Following a 23-hour journey in the same Dragon capsule used by SpaceX’s inaugural crew last May, the astronauts from the United States, Japan, and France are expected to arrive at the International Space Station early on Saturday morning.
They’ll be at the orbital lab for six months.
During the webcast, acting NASA administrator Steve Jurzcyk said, “Predawn launches are always amazing.” “It was incredible to witness.”
The flight of Crew-2 went down in history. It was the first time that people flew on a used Crew Dragon and with a recycled rocket Falcon 9 first stage, and it was also the first time that 2 different foreign astronauts rode in the capsule.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, SpaceX and Boeing have worked to develop new spacecraft capable of safely transporting astronauts. SpaceX developed Crew Dragon, a more advanced version of its robotic Dragon cargo capsule, while Boeing is working on the CST-100 Starliner.
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