Launch America

According to NASA, “A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to the International Space Station…”

On May 27th, 2020 NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Commercial Crew program is a new venture designed to facilitate collaboration between government and corporations for the advancement of commercial pursuits.

This flight will test the transportation system as it travels to the International Space Station. This will be the final trial run for everything from the launch pad, to the rocket, to the spacecraft itself.

This mission is also laying the groundwork for the next lunar expedition, slated to launch in 2024. It will be the beginning of the Artemis program, dedicated to the exploration of Earth’s Moon, and Mars. Notably, the Artemis program will land the first woman on the lunar surface.

Crew Dragon will ensure that all systems are fully operational, and that automatic systems can function manually if necessary. The spacecraft being used for this flight is capable of staying in orbit for 110 days, but the actual mission duration will be determined once Crew Dragon reaches the International Space Station.