NASA and SpaceX have successfully launched a new astronaut capsule on a test mission to the International Space Station |
A SpaceX rocket with an unmanned crew capsule has blasted off for the International Space Station, in a key milestone for Elon Musk's space company and NASA's long-delayed goal to resume human spaceflight from US soil later this year.
"I almost thought we would fail. I thought maybe we'd have a 10% chance of reaching orbit starting out," Silicon Valley billionaire Musk said of his feelings when he founded the space company in 2002. During its five-day stay, US astronaut Anne McClain and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will run tests and inspect Crew Dragon's cabin. Crew Dragon will deliver about 400 pounds of supplies and equipment to the @Space_Station. Also on board is an anthropomorphic test device, which we call Ripley. pic.twitter.com/FuHewNb4UM
The launch systems are aimed at ending US reliance on Russian rockets for rides to the $100 billion orbital research laboratory, which flies about 400km above Earth, at about $80 million per ticket.
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