NASA: SpaceX will be first to launch astronauts from America since 2011 SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will carry the astronauts into space
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for Demo-2 arrived at the launch site on Feb. 13, 2020. (SpaceX, SpaceX)
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – SpaceX will be the first company since 2011 to launch American astronauts into space from American soil, NASA announced in a blog post on Friday .
Both SpaceX and Boeing were developing spacecraft to end the gap in human spaceflight as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, but the administration decided a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will carry the astronauts, WKMG reported .
“The SpaceX Crew Dragon will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley from historic Launch Complex 39A from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center,” NASA said in a media release.
The spacecraft will undergo final testing and prelaunch processing in a SpaceX facility on nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
A launch date has not been announced.
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