Skip to main content

NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX are set to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on Halloween

 

NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX are set to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on Halloween

  • NASA announced a new target for the Crew-1 mission - October 31 at 2:49am ET
  • This mission will send four astronauts aboard a SpaceX rocket to the ISS
  • The event follows the successful mission of Demo-2 in May 
  • The new team will spend six months on the ISS conducing research 

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: | UPDATED: 

NASA announced four astronauts will launch to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during the early hours of Halloween Day.

The Crew-1 mission is set to liftoff at 2:40am ET, which follows the successful Demo-2 test flight in May that was manned by NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.

The new mission will be flown by Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker of NASA and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The team will travel to the station in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and spend six months on the orbiting laboratory conducting research.

The event marks the first time an international crew will fly aboard a NASA-certified, commercially-owned and operated American rocket and spacecraft from American soil.

SpaceX also announced that Crew-1 will overlap with Crew-2 that is set to launch next year, which will be the first time two Dragon capsules have been docked on the ISS simultaneously. 

Scroll down for video 

The new mission will be flown by Michael Hopkins (second from right), Victor Glover (second from left), and Shannon Walker (left) of NASA and Soichi Noguchi (right) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
+4

The new mission will be flown by Michael Hopkins (second from right), Victor Glover (second from left), and Shannon Walker (left) of NASA and Soichi Noguchi (right) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX made history in May when the duo launched Behnken and Hurley to the International Space Station (ISS).

This was the first time in nine years an American crew launched from US soil – bringing space flight back to the nation.

This mission was the precursor for next month's journey, as the team was tasked with testing the Crew Dragon capsule to validate its performance.

This included tests with the environmental control system, displays, maneuvering thrusters and other technologies.

The Crew-1 mission is set to liftoff at 2:40am ET, which follows the successful Demo-2 test flight in May (pictured) that was manned by NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley
+4

The Crew-1 mission is set to liftoff at 2:40am ET, which follows the successful Demo-2 test flight in May (pictured) that was manned by NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley

When Behnken and Hurley returned from a two month stay on the ISS (pictured), NASA began moving forward with its plans for Crew 1. The four astronauts in Crew-1 are set to spend six months on the ISS, where they will conduct a number of experiments and perform a range of tasks
+4

When Behnken and Hurley returned from a two month stay on the ISS (pictured), NASA began moving forward with its plans for Crew 1. The four astronauts in Crew-1 are set to spend six months on the ISS, where they will conduct a number of experiments and perform a range of tasks

However, when Behnken and Hurley returned from a two month stay on the ISS, NASA began moving forward with its plans for Crew 1.

The four astronauts in Crew-1 are set to spend six months on the ISS, where they will conduct a number of experiments and perform a range of tasks.

NASA and SpaceX had previously planned to launch Crew-1 in late September. The one month delay is due to 'spacecraft traffic,' NASA said, as a Russian Soyuz spacecraft is set to launch to the ISS in October.

SpaceX also announced that Crew-1 will overlap with Crew-2 that is set to launch next year, which will be the first time two Dragon capsules have been docked on the ISS simultaneously. Pictured is the Dragon Capsule docked during the Demo-2 mission
+4

SpaceX also announced that Crew-1 will overlap with Crew-2 that is set to launch next year, which will be the first time two Dragon capsules have been docked on the ISS simultaneously. Pictured is the Dragon Capsule docked during the Demo-2 mission

That Soyuz launch, scheduled for October 14, will send NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov to the orbiting lab.

The agency also said that pushing back the Crew-1 launch will allow 'for a crew handover' on board the space station. 

The six month timeline for Crew-1 means that capsule will be docked until late April, overlapping with the SpaceX Crew-2 mission set to launch in spring 2021.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Virgin Galactic rocket ship VSS Unity makes its first spaceflight in two years after ascending from New Mexico

  Virgin Galactic rocket ship VSS Unity makes its first spaceflight in two years after ascending from New Mexico Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo spacecraft successfully made its first rocket-powered spaceflight since 2019 It took off from New Mexico's Spaceport America Saturday The successful spaceflight brings Virgin Galactic closer to offering tourist flights to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere VSS Unity was carried up to an altitude of about 44,000 feet by a carrier aircraft called VMS Eve. Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson confirmed in a Twitter post that the two pilots and a research payload belonging to NASA had reached space  Virgin Galactic has reached space twice before, first from California in December 2018 and then again last June from New Mexico By  ASSOCIATED PRESS  and  GINA MARTINEZ FOR DAILYMAIL.COM PUBLISHED:   17:31, 22 May 2021  |  UPDATED:   19:51, 22 May 2021           e-mail...
Post a Comment
Read more

Virgin Galactic targeting Feb. 13 for next spaceflight

  Virgin Galactic targeting Feb. 13 for next spaceflight Mike Wall     1 hr ago This Face Mask Mistake is Worse Than No Mask at All Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reveals She Had Vaccine Dose on Day of Riots… Virgin Galactic targeting Feb. 13 for next spaceflight © Provided by Space  Virgin Galactic's latest SpaceShipTwo vehicle, VSS Unity, is seen after landing at Spaceport America, New Mexico, following a launch abort during a flight test on Dec . 12, 2020. Virgin Galactic  will reach space again next weekend, if all goes according to plan. The company announced today (Feb. 1) that it's targeting Feb. 13 for the next test flight of its latest suborbital  SpaceShipTwo vehicle , VSS Unity, with further opportunities available throughout February. It will be Unity's third spaceflight overall and the first to lift off from New Mexico's Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic's commercial hub.  Unity's previous two test flights, which occurred in December 2018 and F...
Post a Comment
Read more

Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and All the Other Names That Made It Big in Private Space Travel in 2021

  Space tourism isn’t exactly a new concept, but 2021 saw it go from far-off possibility to actual reality several times over. While multiple factors drove these innovations, there are a few names that each play significant roles within their own companies. First, there’s mogul Richard Branson’s space exploration wing, Virgin Galactic. Then there’s Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ company, Blue Origin. Rounding out the trio is electric car magnate, and regular competitor for Bezos’ title of richest man on the planet, Elon Musk and his endeavor, SpaceX. While the road to these milestones was marked by several missteps, including government lawsuits, misguided expectations and a few failed launches, the year set several new high-water marks that will likely change our perception of space from now on. Here’s a look at how the Big Three of space tourism each fared this year. See:  6 Holidays Purchases That You Should Only Make at Costco Good To Know:  4 Costco Items That Have Remai...
Post a Comment
Read more