NASA And Elon Musk s SpaceX Successfully Launch Falcon 9 To The ISS
NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX have officially brought spaceflight back to US with the successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley took off from Launch Complex 39A at 3:22pm Saturday - the first time in nine years an American crew has launched from US soil.
'Let's light this candle,' commander Hurley said just before liftoff.
There was a 50 percent chance Falcon 9 would not take off today due to ominous clouds and lightning risks, but the weather cleared with just 45 minutes left on the clock countdown.
The Launch America mission is also the first time a private company has put astronauts into space and is the second attempt to launch after Wednesday's flight was aborted due to poor weather conditions.
After reaching orbit, Falcon 9 successfully returned to Earth and was retrieved by SpaceX's autonomous spaceport drone ship 'I Still Love You.'
The Crew Dragon is now taking the 19-hour journey to the International Space Station, where Behnken and Hurley will join the Expedition 63 crew.
The International Space Station was only accessible to NASA astronauts through the purchase of seats on Russian capsules launched from Kazakhstan - but that has all changed as of today.
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NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX have officially brought spaceflight back to US with the successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station
NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX have officially brought spaceflight back to US soil
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said during a press conference, 'Maybe there´s an opportunity here for America to maybe pause and look up and see a bright, shining moment of hope at what the future looks like, that the United States of America can do extraordinary things even in difficult times.'
Among the spectators was Neil Wight, a machinist from Buffalo, New York, who staked out a view of the launch pad from a park in Titusville, Florida.
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'It's pretty historically significant in my book and a lot of other people´s books. With everything that´s going on in this country right now, it´s important that we do things extraordinary in life,' Wight said.
'We've been bombarded with doom and gloom for the last six, eight weeks, whatever it is, and this is awesome. It brings a lot of people together.'
Crew Dragon should be in position to dock with the ISS about 24 hours after takeoff and will connect to the ship autonomously.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence watched the Falcon 9 rocket launch from afar
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after viewing the SpaceX flight to the International Space Station
Falcon 9 successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida Saturday, May 30
Falcon 9 took off at 3.22pm ET and took the nine minute trip into Earth's orbit
After successfully docking, Behnken and Hurley will join the other members on the space station and become part of the Expedition 63 crew.
The two men are scheduled to stay up to four months, after which they will come home with a Right Stuff-style splashdown at sea.
'I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn't nervous,' Bridenstine said before the launch attempt. 'We want to do everything we can to minimize the risk, minimize the uncertainty, so that Bob and Doug will be safe.'
NASA urged people to stay safe and watch from home due to the coronavirus, and by NASA's count, over 3 million viewers tuned in online.
However, spectators began lining the Cape Canaveral area´s beaches and roads with signs along the main beach drag that read 'Godspeed.'
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence returned to Kennedy Space Center to watch the second attempt of Launch America, which finally brought spaceflight back to US soil.
'That was a beautiful sight to see and I hope you all enjoyed it,' Trump said shortly after the rocket ship designed and built by Elon Musk´s SpaceX company lifted off for a trip to the International Space Station.
Astronaut Bob Behnek is pictured holding a toy dinosaur in his hand that belongs to one of his children
The Crew Dragon will now take the 19-hour journey to the International Space Station, where Behnken and Hurley will join Expedition 63 crew
There was a 50 percent chance Falcon 9 would not take off today due to ominous clouds and lightning risks, but the weather cleared with just 45 minutes left on the clock countdown - and the astronauts are heading to the International Space Station
NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX have officially brought spaceflight back to US with the successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station.
Spectators watched the Falcon 9 rocket take off from Kennedy Space Center from a nearby beach
Both NASA and SpaceX said they would be 'proceeding with countdown' despite a 50 percent 'weather cancellation risk' amid concerns over possible thunderstorms and rain around the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral early Saturday morning.
Bridenstine said during an afternoon briefing: 'We are predicting a 50, 50 shot of going this time.'
'But because we are in late May, we have to take any shot we can get.'
'We almost made it on Wednesday and the trend is better today than it was on Wednesday.'
The biggest concern was lighting, precipitation, cumulus clouds and anvil clouds - all of which could ground Falcon 9 until Sunday.
However, about 45 minutes to launch, all requirements went from red to green and a SpaceX official said 'weather is a go.'
The launch pad where Falcon 9 took off from is the same one used by NASA's last space shuttle flight, tour hà giang từ hà nội piloted by Hurley, in 2011.
Since then, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.
Earlier today, Behnken and Hurley had a social distancing farewell with their families who met them outside of the Kennedy crew quarters before they took the journey to Launch Complex 39A.
Behnken (left) and Hurley (right) conduct a series of pre-flight checks in the Dragon Crew capsule
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Behnken and Hurley were met by their wives and children before heading to Falcon 9, but had to keep with the social distance policy and were only able to send air hugs and blow kisses
NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley (left) have once again emerged from the Kennedy crew quarters dressed in sleek white spacesuits as they head to Launch Complex 39A for their second attempt at making history
This is the second time the astronauts have said farewell to their family. NASA and SpaceX were forced to abort Launch America Wednesday with less than 17 minutes on the countdown clock due to poor weather
Behnken and Hurley had to keep a distance from their families while saying goodbye before heading to Launch Complex 39A
After saying farewell, the pair loaded into a white Tesla Model X with bright blue NASA stickers on each of the doors and the 'worm' logo on the back windshield
Due to the policy, the team had to stand six-feet from their wives and children and say goodbye with air hugs.
Before saying goodbye, Behnken and Hurley suited up in the new spacesuits developed by Musk with the help of costume designer Jose Fernandez with envisioning the prototype.
Fernandez, who has worked on 'The Avengers' and 'X-Men', revealed that Musk wanted the crew to look better in the suit than without it, 'like a tux.'
'Musk kept saying, anyone looks better in a tux, no matter what size or shape they are,' he said in an interview with Bleep.
'I personally spent a lot of time — it took us three, almost four years to design these suits that both look good and tour hà giang giá rẻ work well,' Musk said during NASA's live coverage of the launch attempt on Wednesday.
The launch pad is the same one used by NASA's last space shuttle flight, piloted by Hurley, in 2011. Since then, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft. The crew is still pushing forward with plans and the astronauts are now fully dressed in the spacesuits developed by Musk with the help of costume designer Jose Fernandez with envisioning the prototype
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstein paid the astronauts a visit in the crew quarters. Having to keep the social distancing policy, Bridenstein snapped a selfie to commemorate the mission dubbed Launch America
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstein snapped 'the perfect selfie' in the Kennedy crew quarters with Benhken (back left) and Hurley (back right), who are all smiles ahead of the launch
The crew are dressed in spacesuits developed by Musk with the help of costume designer Jose Fernandez with envisioning the prototype. Behnken (left) flashes the camera smile while standing next to Hurley (right) in the crew quarters
The ground crew is running through a series of tests on that are designed to connect into the Dragon seats, which provides cool to the astronauts and communication to the crew. As it stands, the 24-storey-tall SpaceX Falcon 9 is due to lift off at 3.22pm Eastern Time, propelling astronauts Behnken and Hurley aloft on a 19-hour ride to the International Space Station
Doug Hurley (pictured) is suited up and ready to go for Launch America
Hurley and Behnken are wearing the new SpaceX suits that Elon Musk said he personally worked on for three to four years
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'You see the spacesuits in the movies — they look good, they don't work well.'
'You can make a spacesuit that works, but it doesn't look good, because fundamentally it's a pressure suit that has to survive in a vacuum.'
The suits were constructed in Hawthorne, California, which is the same facility where SpaceX keep its rockets.
They are custom-made for each passenger aboard Crew Dragon and designed to be functional, lightweight and to offer protection from potential depressurization.
For Musk, the launch represents another milestone for the reusable rockets his company pioneered to make spaceflight less costly and frequent.
And kynghidongduong.vn it would mark the first time that commercially developed space vehicles - owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA - have carried Americans into orbit.
Musk said on Wednesday he accepted absolute responsibility if today's historic launch of his Falcon 9 rocket ended in tragedy.
The biggest concern is lighting, precipitation, cumulus clouds and anvil clouds - all of which could ground Falcon 9 until Sunday. The first Falcon 9 rocket launch try on Wednesday was called off with less than 17 minutes on the countdown clock due to stormy weather
Dolphins swim in a lagoon near Launch Complex 39A at sunrise at Kennedy Space Center in Florida this morning. Elon Musk said they would be 'proceeding with countdown' despite a 50 per cent 'weather cancellation risk'
The SpaceX suits have been jointly designed by a Hollywood costume designer and by Elon Musk himself
Spectators setup spots on the Florida beach to watch NASA and SpaceX make history. NASA had discouraged spectators from traveling to Florida to watch the launch, citing the coronavirus pandemic
The because in Florida are flooded with people who are enjoying the sun while they waited for the NASA-SpaceX launch
