SpaceX Crew Dragon with Unmanned Capsule Lifts Off for Space Station

   Early morning on Saturday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off with an unmanned crew capsule for the International Space Station (ISS). This is a key milestone to demonstrate the company's capabilities to safely transport astronauts as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

   The 4.9-metre-tall (16 foot) Crew Dragon capsule lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre at 2:49 a.m. EST carrying supplies, equipment and a test dummy nicknamed Ripley.

During its five-day stay aboard the ISS, U.S. astronaut Anne McClan and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will run tests to determine the condition of the Crew Dragon's cabin.

   “I almost thought we would fail. I thought maybe we’d have a 10 percent chance of reaching orbit starting out,” Elon Musk said of his feelings when he founded the space company in 2002.

   “I’m a little emotionally exhausted because that was super stressful, but it worked,” he told reporters after Saturday’s launch.

 

 Read more about this fascinating story at:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-spacex/spacex-rocket-with-unmanned-us-capsule-blasts-off-for-space-station-idUSKCN1QI554

https://www.spacex.com/webcast

https://newatlas.com/crew-demo-1-test-mission/58699/

 

Image Credit: SpaceX