Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk-owned SpaceX created history by becoming the first private rocket company to launch two American astronauts toward orbit from Florida on Saturday (May 30). The mission is significant as it marks the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from Ameircan soil after a gap of over nine years.
Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT) in a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for a 19-hour ride aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule which will take the duo to the International Space Station. According to NASA, Crew Dragon separated from its second stage booster at 3:35 and has entered orbit.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/DRBfdUM7JA
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 30, 2020
Live webcast of Crew Dragon’s test flight with @NASA astronauts @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug ? https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK https://t.co/qalF7oCJO6
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 30, 2020
“It’s been way too long,” Jim Bridenstine, the Nasa administrator, said of the launch. “It was just an amazing day. I’m breathing a sigh of relief but I won’t be celebrating until Bob and Doug are home safely.”
“It’s really hard to believe this is real. This is a dream come true for me and everyone at SpaceX, the result of a tremendous number of smart people working tremendously hard to make this day happen,” said Musk.
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