Nasa space shuttle launch 201212/18/2023 ![]() The mission is considered an essential project, so preparations at NASA and SpaceX are continuing despite criticism. The New York Times reports that in February, Hurley shared that the pair was training to use the space station’s robotics and conduct spacewalks. The astronauts’ exact mission hasn’t yet been specified, but they will join the Expedition 63 crew conducting research. During the flight to the ISS, they will test the spacecraft’s control systems and maneuvering thrusters, and conduct more tests once the Crew Dragon is docked. Before joining NASA, Hurley was a Marine Corps fighter pilot and test pilot and Behnken was a flight test engineer, and both have flown on two space shuttle missions each. Because it’s a test flight, the astronauts will put the spacecraft through its paces. With the abort engine issue fixed, and a successful in-flight abort test this past January, the Crew Dragon is ready for lift off. A second Crew Dragon was destroyed during an abort engine test last April, causing a delay. The Associated Press’s Marcia Dunn reports that Dragon capsules have been carrying cargo to the space station since 2012, and in March 2019, SpaceX performed a successful test of the Crew Dragon spacecraft’s ability to autonomously connect with the ISS. The launch will be the first crewed flight, and final test flight, of the SpaceX system. But the Crew Dragon spacecraft could stay in orbit for up to 110 days, and NASA says in a statement that “the specific mission duration will be determined once on station based on the readiness of the next commercial crew launch.” The mission was initially scheduled to last only two weeks, per the New York Times’ Kenneth Chang. After about 24 hours, the Crew Dragon will autonomously dock with the International Space Station (ISS), where Behnken and Hurley will join the three astronauts currently onboard. NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will fly on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, set to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket at 3:22 p.m. Since the shuttle’s return to Earth 11 days later, NASA astronauts have flown to the International Space Station on Soyuz rockets, managed by Russia. The last space shuttle flight launched on July 8, 2011, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launchpad 39A. The launch would have been the first to blast off from United States soil in nine years. Editor's Note, May 27, 2020: Due to poor weather conditions, the SpaceX shuttle launch slated for this afternoon has been postponed to Saturday, May 30.
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