NASA resumes human spaceflight from U.S. soil with historic SpaceX launch

By Joey Roulette

 

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken lifts off during NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 30, 2020. REUTERS/Thom Baur

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - SpaceX, the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, launched two Americans toward orbit from Florida on Saturday in a mission that marks the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from U.S. soil in nine years.

 

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT), launching Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a 19-hour ride aboard the company's newly designed Crew Dragon capsule bound for the International Space Station.

 

Moments before liftoff, Hurley said, “SpaceX we’re go for launch. Let’s light this candle,” paraphrasing the famous phrase uttered on the launch pad in 1961 by Alan Shephard, the first American launched into space.

 

Crew Dragon separated from its second stage booster at 3:35 and minutes later entered orbit.

 

The craft launched from the same pad used by NASA's final space shuttle flight, piloted by Hurley, in 2011. Since then, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.

 

“It's incredible, the power, the technology,” said U.S. President Donald Trump, who was at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida for the launch, “That was a beautiful sight to see.”

 

The mission's first launch try on Wednesday was called off with less than 17 minutes remaining on the countdown clock. Weather again threatened Saturday's launch, but cleared in time to begin the mission.

 

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has said resuming launches of American astronauts on American-made rockets from U.S. soil is the space agency's top priority.

 

"I'm breathing a sigh of relief, but I will also tell you I'm not gonna celebrate until Bob and Doug are home safely." Bridenstine said.

 

For Musk, the launch represents another milestone for the reusable rockets his company pioneered to make spaceflight less costly and more frequent. And it marks the first time commercially developed space vehicles - owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA - have carried Americans into orbit.

 

The last time NASA launched astronauts into space aboard a brand new vehicle was 40 years ago at the start of the space shuttle program.

 

Musk, the South African-born high-tech entrepreneur who made his fortune in Silicon Valley, is also chief executive of electric carmaker and battery manufacturer Tesla Inc <TSLA.O>. He founded Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies, in 2002.

 

Hurley, 53, and Behnken, 49, NASA employees under contract to fly with SpaceX, are expected to remain at the space station for several weeks, assisting a short-handed crew aboard the orbital laboratory.

 

Boeing Co <BA.N>, producing its own launch system in competition with SpaceX, is expected to fly its CST-100 Starliner vehicle with astronauts aboard for the first time next year. NASA has awarded nearly $8 billion to SpaceX and Boeing combined for development of their rival rockets.

 

Trump called the launch the beginning, saying that eventually there would be flights to Mars.

 

He was joined at the viewing by Vice President Mike Pence, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz and Senator Rick Scott.

 

Earlier on Saturday, the crew bid goodbye to their families. Prior to getting into a specially-designed Tesla for the ride to the launch site, Behnken told his young son, "Be good for mom. Make her life easy.”

 

During the drive, Behnken and Hurley passed former astronaut Garrett Reisman holding a side saying, "Take me with you."

 

(Reporting by Joey Roulette in Cape Canaveral, Fla.; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Bill Berkrot)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-31

 

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It is truly great to see humans reaching for the stars!

 

Some might question why humans are flying to space during a global pandemic/global economic crisis, but I wholeheartedly support the idea. Space launches, space exploration, the development of more regular space travel, the (eventual) moon colonies, and so much more keep humanity on a path of discovery and 'boldly going where no man has gone before'; what would human history be like if someone said to Christopher Columbus "Hey! We have troubles at home. Stop wasting money on hair-brained schemes!"?

 

26 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

SpaceX, the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, launched two Americans toward orbit from Florida on Saturday in a mission that marks the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from U.S. soil in nine years.

It is great to see the transition from government-implemented space travel to one led by the private sector. Yes, it was the right thing for governments to do in the past as only they had the resources to effectively begin such a process, but it is equally the right thing now to step back and unleash the power and innovation of the private sector.

 

While I am terribly pleased to see space travel continuing on, there needs to be some serious global dialogue about how humanity will manage its ascent to the stars. Who 'owns' the Moon? Who will 'own' any asteroid that gets mined? What law will govern activities in space? Who will enforce that law? Who will make it? 

 

There are so many questions/issues regarding the future of humanity in space that will need to be addressed; sadly, I suspect that it'll be a case of 'making it up as you go along'. Wouldn't it be nice if somehow Humanity could set aside some of its petty differences and create a framework for space that benefited everyone?

 

Yes, I know that I am dreaming, but...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 31, 20206 yr by Samui Bodoh
Lack of Coffee

Bonus points to the first unsung internet hero that says Musk hasn't achieved anything. Well done torpedo man!

Here’s to many safe productive flights

ABSOLUTELY!!! I think we can all get behind this! I am glad to see they made it safe and they are now going to be productive in space. This is a very good thing ???? 

so the human virus spreads to the stars and still using parachutes, stupid

Edited May 31, 20206 yr by malibukid

Take about 20 years in one of his Battery Cars charging every few miles.

Not an American but I was proud to watch humans, private enterprise and NASA begin a new chapter of space travel.  Watching the first stage return and land on the drone ship was also very cool.

And no surprise to see how Americans react on Twitter :

- "No front facing camera on the rocket again? And more CGI instead of video footage?"

- "I'm just going to say that the fake moon landing looked more convincing than that SpaceX thing yesterday and that was 50 years ago."

- "NASA don't exist. Gov did it fake every time. They were having issues with green screen this time and hence they postponed the launch."

- Etc.

Stupid people!

46 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

And no surprise to see how Americans react on Twitter :

- "No front facing camera on the rocket again? And more CGI instead of video footage?"

- "I'm just going to say that the fake moon landing looked more convincing than that SpaceX thing yesterday and that was 50 years ago."

- "NASA don't exist. Gov did it fake every time. They were having issues with green screen this time and hence they postponed the launch."

- Etc.

Stupid people!

You missed the flat earth tweets too, those are my favorites....lol

More NASA lies, BS and Computor Generated Images. But the sheep blindly believe it.????

40 minutes ago, sevenhills said:

More NASA lies, BS and Computor Generated Images. But the sheep blindly believe it.????

As someone who has seen the Space Shuttle lift off, I can confidently and comfortably say to you....BAAAAAAHH! If you are trolling....whatever....if you actually dont believe they are in space....you are a fool.

Edited May 31, 20206 yr by Tie Dye Samurai

2 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

And no surprise to see how Americans react on Twitter :

- "No front facing camera on the rocket again? And more CGI instead of video footage?"

- "I'm just going to say that the fake moon landing looked more convincing than that SpaceX thing yesterday and that was 50 years ago."

- "NASA don't exist. Gov did it fake every time. They were having issues with green screen this time and hence they postponed the launch."

- Etc.

Stupid people!

Oh yah. Those were tweets you decided to include. Get a life dude! Was there anything positive you could add to this? Or just a miserable guy continuing in misery.

9 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

It is truly great to see humans reaching for the stars!

 

Some might question why humans are flying to space during a global pandemic/global economic crisis, but I wholeheartedly support the idea. Space launches, space exploration, the development of more regular space travel, the (eventual) moon colonies, and so much more keep humanity on a path of discovery and 'boldly going where no man has gone before'; what would human history be like if someone said to Christopher Columbus "Hey! We have troubles at home. Stop wasting money on hair-brained schemes!"?

 

It is great to see the transition from government-implemented space travel to one led by the private sector. Yes, it was the right thing for governments to do in the past as only they had the resources to effectively begin such a process, but it is equally the right thing now to step back and unleash the power and innovation of the private sector.

 

While I am terribly pleased to see space travel continuing on, there needs to be some serious global dialogue about how humanity will manage its ascent to the stars. Who 'owns' the Moon? Who will 'own' any asteroid that gets mined? What law will govern activities in space? Who will enforce that law? Who will make it? 

 

There are so many questions/issues regarding the future of humanity in space that will need to be addressed; sadly, I suspect that it'll be a case of 'making it up as you go along'. Wouldn't it be nice if somehow Humanity could set aside some of its petty differences and create a framework for space that benefited everyone?

 

Yes, I know that I am dreaming, but...

 

 

 

 

 

Splendid post.

   This success of Musk's will put the sorid Thai cave affair firmly behind him

35 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

Oh yah. Those were tweets you decided to include. Get a life dude! Was there anything positive you could add to this? Or just a miserable guy continuing in misery.

Uh? Of course these are tweets I choose to include. It's what you do too when you quote other people posts. 

 

I just can't understand why - in 2020 - there are so many Americans who believe that the Earth is flat, and that the Man never walked on the moon and that all space missions are fake ! 

 

BTW: Dragon now approaching ISS :

 

 

Edited May 31, 20206 yr by Pattaya46

Crazy wide image of the International Space Station just now as Dragon approaches, unlike others, maybe because of cameras on Dragon. Zoom full screen for effect. (Bwa ha ha, mobile guys)  For those who like the humanity angle, this is the station that humanity build. Just a guess, maybe people from 50 to 100 or more nations have worked on various parts of it.

 

I heard today 100,000+ people in total worked on the Crew Dragon project. That's got to be a melting pot in California.

 

Finally taking steps forward in our space program again after the bleak and disastrous Obama years.

14 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Uh? Of course these are tweets I choose to include. It's what you do too when you quote other people posts. 

 

I just can't understand why - in 2020 - there are so many Americans who believe that the Earth is flat, and that the Man never walked on the moon and that all space missions are fake ! 

 

BTW: Dragon now approaching ISS :

 

 

Oh and no one in England or Switzerland or where ever believe this?  330 million in USA and 50 million in England. Sure a few more Americans have whacked out beliefs. Stop being so naive loser.