NASA and SpaceX are ready for historic space travel

US authorities have embarked on a new strategy in which private companies will account for the “short” missions of the ISS, while NASA itself is working on spacecraft for future trips to distant destinations.

NASA’s own Orion capsule was tested unmanned once, in December 2014. A new unmanned test is slated for next year, and a manned trip around the moon may take place in late 2022.

Therefore, it is up to SpaceX and its competitor Boeing to be the first to send astronauts into space from American Earth in a newly developed space capsule.

After Boeing’s first attempt to send an unmanned edition of its Starliner capsule to the ISS, SpaceX appears to be winning.

The stakes are high, both in terms of prestige and money. According to CNBC, since 2014 NASA has paid $ 2.5 billion to SpaceX and $ 4.3 billion to Boeing for the development of the spacecraft and the first trips.

_ If you look at it globally, this is the ninth time in history that we are sending people with a newly developed spaceship, says Bridenstine.

– We are doing this right in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. I will tell you that this is a mission that has a high priority for the United States, he continues. Bridenstine also emphasized that NASA is asking people not to travel to Cape Canaveral to see the shooting.

– Just saying it makes me sad. I really hoped we could make this really spectacular, ”he says.

Astronauts Behnken and Hurley have been training for the mission for years. They will dock the craft at the space station and stay there for one to four months, depending on how quickly the next trip can be completed, says NASA’s Steve Stich.

Crew Dragon can stay in the room for up to four months.

If the trip goes well, it will be a major milestone for Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The company, founded in 2002, has managed to turn aviation giant Boeing around. They have already transported cargo to ISS since 2012, and with the help of their reusable transporter rocket Falcon 9 it has established itself as one of the most important in the industry.

– I’ll be a little relieved when they’re in orbit. I will be more relieved when they are on the space station and of course when they return to Earth I will start sleeping again, says the head of the company, Gwynne Shotwell.

The launch will take place at 10:42 p.m. Norwegian time on May 27, and the Crew Dragon is scheduled to connect to the ISS 19 hours later.