Monday, March 4, 2019

SpaceX Successfully Launches, Docks Crew Capable Spacecraft With ISS

Hawthorne-based SpaceX successfully launched its first mission of a spacecraft designed to carry human beings into space, sending the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft into space early Saturday morning, and successfully docking the spacecraft at the ISS on Sunday. The mission did not carry astronauts into space, but did include "Ripley", an astronaut-sized dummy rigged with sensors to monitor the impact of the launch on a human being. The Crew Dragon is now expected to spend five days at the International Space Station. SpaceX is competing to gain certification to carry actual astronauts into space using its spacecraft, in hopes of becoming the first, commercial company to launch astronauts to the ISS. The SpaceX Crew Demo-1 mission launched at 2:49am on Saturday, March 2nd from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, from Launch Complex 39A. The flight is intended to demonstrate SpaceX's capabilities to safely and reliably fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

---