Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley (right) summon Earth at the end of launch day
Private rocket company SpaceX has sent two astronauts into orbit.
The launch was the first in nine years since the company’s rocket ships were retired after successfully sending crew members from the United States.
Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken not only tried out the new capsule system, but also initiated a new business model for Nasa.
The agency no longer needs to own a space vehicle but can rent it from the “taxi” service that SpaceX offers.
Other companies besides billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, SpaceX, are expected to be involved in growing the market. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has signed a contract with NASA to do so.
Musk said he had mixed feelings about seeing his spaceship successfully put astronauts into orbit.
“This is something that touches the human heart, and anyone with a passion for exploration. The United States is the epicenter of the spirit of exploration,” he told reporters.
Was delayed because of the weather
Previously, it was reported that the launch of Elon Musk’s Crew Dragon SpaceX spacecraft, or Dragon Crew, carrying astronauts for the first time, was postponed due to bad weather.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was originally scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, but seventeen minutes before launch, a thunderstorm forced the mission to be postponed.
Two NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley had previously prepared in the Dragon Crew capsule.
They spent two weeks in isolation to avoid infection with the coronavirus.
President Trump has traveled to Florida to observe the launch.
This was the first mission of the United States space agency, Nasa and private companies and opened the era of commercial air travel.
Here are some questions surrounding the launch, writes BBC News science editor Paul Rincon.
Why do private companies bring in NASA astronauts?
The United States Space Agency (Nasa) has been planning to hand over transportation to the International Space Station (ISS) crew since the early 2000s.
After the space shuttle Columbia exploded on its return to Earth in 2003, Nasa focused on developing a replacement spacecraft that could reach the Moon.
To be able to run the program, Nasa needs to involve a private company to transport crew and cargo to the ISS.
In 2014, SpaceX, owned by entrepreneur Elon Musk, and aerospace giant Boeing, were announced as winners of a Nasa contract for their crew transport services.
SpaceX launched its spacecraft first; The Dragon Crew spacecraft will depart on Wednesday, propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.
What is SpaceX?
SpaceX is a US company that provides spacecraft launch services using its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, either for commercial purposes or to assist the government.
Elon Musk founded the company in 2002, with the aim of reducing the cost of space transportation and paving the way for the colonization of Mars.
SpaceX is the first private company to routinely return rockets to Earth, using propulsive power so that rockets can be reused rather than thrown into space.
The company has been launching cargo planes to the ISS on a regular basis, and now, it wants to take astronauts to the ISS. SpaceX is also developing a larger spacecraft called Starship to carry passengers, an early process before bringing humans to live on Mars.
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