The planned spaceflight with two astronauts being transported to the International Space Station is allowed to go ahead. NASA has given the green light for the flight, with SpaceX taking on the launch with its Falcon 9 rocket.
The approval means astronauts will be transported to the ISS from US soil for the first time in nearly a decade. The Americans are currently using Russian facilities to get their astronauts to the International Space Station. The launch of the two astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, is planned to take place next Wednesday. That date was already planned, but NASA had yet to give the green light; that came on friday.
SpaceX will then launch a Falcon 9 rocket, with the two astronauts seated in a Crew Dragon capsule. This variant of the Dragon capsule, previously used to carry cargo to the ISS, has been tested in recent times. The Falcon 9 takes off from launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA is also using the flight as the first test for SpaceX’s manned space program. If nothing goes wrong, more Falcon 9 launches with Crew Dragon may follow.