NASA and Spice X plan historic space flight despite Ko virus outbreak



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Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, two former astronauts who participated in the spacecraft program that stopped in 2011, will depart from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 27. If the mission is successful, the United States will achieve its goal of not needing Russian “Soyuz” missiles to transport American astronauts to the International Space Station.

It is also an important stage in ESA’s new economic model. NASA has spent billions on contracts with Spice X and Boeing to develop vehicles that will have to make six trips to and from the International Space Station. This model is supposed to save taxpayers from gaps in previous programs that have yet to be implemented, especially the giant space launch system missile that would return NASA to the moon, but is in trouble of exceeding costs. and delay its completion.

NASA President Jim Braidenstein told reporters that the SpaceX Crew Dragon will be the fifth spacecraft in the United States to bring humans into orbit, after the Mercury, Jiminay, Apollo and Spice Shuttle programs. “. Globally, this will be the ninth time in history that we have placed humans in an entirely new spacecraft.” “We will do so in the midst of the epidemic (Coffid 19). I will tell you that this mission is a priority for the United States of America. “NASA said Behnken and Hurley, who had been training for the Dimo ​​2 mission for years, would join the International Space Station and remain there for a period of one to four months, depending on the date of the next mission, as Steve Stitch of the United States Agency explained.

Crowe Dragon can remain in orbit for four months (119 days). Hurley, who pioneered the spacecraft’s recent mission, admitted it was “disappointing” that the launch would not take place in public, as people were called not to meet. In Cape Canaveral to see the event. – A victory for “Spice X” – This mission is an important event for the “Spice X” company founded by Elon Musk, director and founder of Tesla Corporation. His company, created in 2002, bypassed Boeing, which had failed a similar but unmanned mission by its Star Liner spacecraft last year, and would have to start again.

Receiving billions of dollars from NASA since the late 2000s, SpaceX has been providing supplies and equipment to the International Space Station since 2012, and has established itself as a pioneer in the private space sector thanks to its missile. Falcon 9 reusable. . “I will feel some relief when they are in orbit, and I will feel more comfortable when they get to the International Space Station, and I will obviously regain the ability to sleep when they return safely to Earth,” said Gwen Shotwell, director of operations for the company. .

Of course, the epidemic affected the program, but Shotwell said that every precaution had been taken to protect the astronauts. “We ensure that only key people approach them while wearing masks and gloves. We clean training facilities twice a day.” The launch is scheduled for 4:42 pm (20:42 GMT) on May 27 and is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station after approximately 19 hours.

(AFP)



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