President Donald Trump, right, Vice President Mike Pence, and Second Lady Karen Pence watch the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard, Saturday, May 30, 2020, from the balcony of Operations Support Building II at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
With the SpaceX Demo-2 mission, NASA astronauts have been launched from American soil for the first time in history in a commercially built and operated American crew spacecraft. The last time astronauts were launched from the US soil was on July 8, 2011, for the STS-135 mission. Soon after which all astronauts were flown to the International Space Station in Russia’s Soyuz Capsule.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley lifted off at 3:22 pm EDT Saturday on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket to reach the International Space Centre.
The mission was launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida that was used to launch Apollo missions to the moon half a century ago. The Demo-2 launch also marks the start of the commercial crew era of US human spaceflight.
Missed the SpaceX launch? Watch it right here
At the moment, the Crew Dragon capsule has separated from Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage and is on its way to the International Space Station. If you have missed the live broadcast of the mission, you can watch the pictures from the launch:
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken, foreground, and Douglas Hurley, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Demo-2 mission launch, Saturday, May 30, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
NASA astronaut Douglas Hurley waves as he and fellow crew member Robert Behnken depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Demo-2 mission launch, Saturday, May 30, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
SpaceX is charging only $55 million per astronaut for one complete round trip. (Image: NASA, SpaceX)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken lifts off during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., May 30, 2020. REUTERS/Thom Baur
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched from Launch Complex 39A on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard, Saturday, May 30, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken lifts off during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., May 30, 2020. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken in the Dragon crew capsule, Saturday, May 30, 2020 from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The two astronauts are on the SpaceX test flight to the International Space Station. For the first time in nearly a decade, astronauts blasted towards orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil, a first for a private company. AP/PTI Photo