SpaceX launches 2nd crew as regular flights begin
CAPE CANAVERAL — SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station on Sunday on the first fullfledged taxi flight for NASA by a private company.
The Falcon rocket thundered into the night from Kennedy Space Center with three Americans and one Japanese, the second crew to be launched by SpaceX. The Dragon capsule on top — named Resilience by its crew in light of this year’s many challenges, most notably COVID19 — reached orbit nine minutes later. It is due to reach the space station late Monday and remain there until spring.
Sidelined by the coronavirus himself, SpaceX founder Elon Musk was forced to monitor the action from afar. He tweeted that he “most likely” had a moderate case of COVID19. NASA policy at Kennedy Space Center requires anyone testing positive for coronavirus to quarantine and remain isolated.
Sunday’s launch follows by just a few months SpaceX’s two pilot test flight. It kicks off what NASA hopes will be a long series of crew rotations between the U. S. and the space station, after years of delay. More people means more science research at the orbiting lab, according to officials.
Cheers and applause erupted at SpaceX Mission Control in Hawthorne ( Los Angeles County) after the capsule reached orbit and the firststage booster landed on a floating platform in the Atlantic.
Moments before liftoff, Commander Mike Hopkins addressed the employees of NASA and SpaceX.
“By working together through these difficult times, you’ve inspired the nation, the world, and in no small part the name of this incredible vehicle, Resilience,” he said. “And now it’s time for us to do our part.”
The threemen, onewoman crew led by Hopkins named their capsule Resilience in a nod not only to the pandemic, but also racial injustice and contentious politics. It’s about as diverse as space crews come, including Shannon Walker, Navy Cmdr. Victor Glover, the first Black astronaut on a longterm space station mission, and Japan’s Soichi Noguchi.
The four astronauts will be joining two Russians and one American who flew to the space station last month from Kazakhstan.
The firststage booster is expected to be recycled by SpaceX for the next crew liftoff. That’s currently targeted for the end of March, which would set up the newly launched astronauts for a return to Earth in April. SpaceX would send yet another crew in late summer or early fall.
NASA turned to private companies to haul cargo and crew to the space station after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011. SpaceX qualified for both. With Kennedy back in astronaut launching action, NASA can stop buying seats on Russian Soyuz rockets. The last one cost $ 90 million.