Today marks the first time in almost a decade that astronauts from the United States will be sent into space – and the first time ever that a private company has teamed with NASA on a space mission.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has built a spacecraft which will send Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station – here’s what you need to know about the launch…
How can I watch the SpaceX launch today?
The launch is being broadcast live on NASA’s YouTube channel – with the spacecraft set to take off at 9:30am.
What is the purpose of the mission?
NASA says that the purpose of the mission, which has been referred to as Demo-2, is to test the capabilities of SpaceX to safely take astronauts to and from the International Space Station – with Elon Musk’s company hoping to eventually get certification from NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme.
Who are the astronauts?
Both men, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, are experienced NASA astronauts who have previously travelled to space – Behnken has spent 29 days in space while Hurley was on the final flight of the space shuttle Atlantis in 2011 before it was discontinued
Both men have separate roles – joint operations commander Behnken’s duties include the docking and undocking of the capsule, whereas spacecraft commander Hurley is responsible for the launch, landing and recovery of the vehicle.
If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide.
from Radio Times https://ift.tt/3eo0smc
