NASA SpaceX Demo-2 Mission Launch on May 30: Crew Dragon Spacecraft Set to Send Astronauts Douglas Hurley And Robert Behnken to Space

Washington, May 30: In what could make history, NASA will launch two of its astronauts, Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken, to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 30. According to local time in India, the historic launch will take place 12:52 am on May 31. The launch was earlier scheduled for May 28. However, it was postponed due to bad weather. The countdown was halted less than 17 minutes before the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was due to lift off. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Launch With NASA Astronauts: All You Need To Know About Mission Demo-2.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This has been named "Crew Demo-2" mission. If the attempt is successful, it will be the first time that a privately-owned company send humans into space. Moreover, the SpaceX Demo-2 mission will mark the first launch of astronauts on an American rocket from American soil since the last space shuttle mission in 2011. Moon Mission: NASA Seeks Candidates for 8-Month Isolation.

Demo-2 is the first crewed mission for the US space agency's Commercial Crew Programme. According to NASA, the purpose of this demonstration mission is to show SpaceX's ability to ferry astronauts to the space station and back safely. Billionaire Elon Musk's company last year did a full dress rehearsal, successfully launching the Crew Dragon to the station without a crew on board.

The Demo-2 mission will provide critical data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft, and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, and landing operations.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 30, 2020 03:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).