The Falcon 9 rocket for SpaceX's next NASA astronaut flight arrives at launch site
By
Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and senior content editor
Published Jul 20, 2020 4:43 PM EDT
The rocket that will launch SpaceX's first operational crewed flight for NASA has arrived at its Florida launch site.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket for the Crew-1 mission, which is scheduled to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Aug. 30, reached the Sunshine State on Tuesday (July 14), agency officials said. The booster made the long trek from SpaceX's facility in McGregor, Texas, wrapped in a protective black shroud.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is 129 feet closer to the Red Planet after being placed atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, for launch on July 30th.
The Falcon 9 will now undergo prelaunch processing at SpaceX's facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, NASA officials said. Cape Canaveral is next door to KSC.
The first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will launch NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission arrived in Florida on Tuesday (July 14). The rocket was shipped from the SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas. (SpaceX)
The Crew-1 launch will send NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The quartet will stay aboard the orbiting lab for about six months.
Crew-1 will be the first full-fledged mission of at least six that SpaceX will fly under a $2.6 billion contract the company signed with NASA in 2014. But it won't be the first crewed flight for Elon Musk's company.
That distinction goes to Demo-2, a test mission that launched NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the ISS in late May. Demo-2 was the first crewed orbital launch from the U.S. since the final flight of NASA's space shuttle program way back in July 2011. Since then, all astronauts had flown to and from the ISS aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Behnken and Hurley are scheduled to return to Earth in the next few weeks. If Demo-2 continues to go well, SpaceX will be clear to launch Crew-1.
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News / Astronomy
The Falcon 9 rocket for SpaceX's next NASA astronaut flight arrives at launch site
By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and senior content editor
Published Jul 20, 2020 4:43 PM EDT
Partner Content
The rocket that will launch SpaceX's first operational crewed flight for NASA has arrived at its Florida launch site.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket for the Crew-1 mission, which is scheduled to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Aug. 30, reached the Sunshine State on Tuesday (July 14), agency officials said. The booster made the long trek from SpaceX's facility in McGregor, Texas, wrapped in a protective black shroud.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is 129 feet closer to the Red Planet after being placed atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, for launch on July 30th.
The Falcon 9 will now undergo prelaunch processing at SpaceX's facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, NASA officials said. Cape Canaveral is next door to KSC.
The first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will launch NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission arrived in Florida on Tuesday (July 14). The rocket was shipped from the SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas. (SpaceX)
The Crew-1 launch will send NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The quartet will stay aboard the orbiting lab for about six months.
Crew-1 will be the first full-fledged mission of at least six that SpaceX will fly under a $2.6 billion contract the company signed with NASA in 2014. But it won't be the first crewed flight for Elon Musk's company.
That distinction goes to Demo-2, a test mission that launched NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the ISS in late May. Demo-2 was the first crewed orbital launch from the U.S. since the final flight of NASA's space shuttle program way back in July 2011. Since then, all astronauts had flown to and from the ISS aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Behnken and Hurley are scheduled to return to Earth in the next few weeks. If Demo-2 continues to go well, SpaceX will be clear to launch Crew-1.
Click here to continue reading on SPACE.com.
Report a Typo