The New Era of Space Travel: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Spacecraft Mission to ISS
May 30th, 2020, marks the beginning of a new era of space travel as Elon Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, successfully launched two NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley (right), into space as part of Crew Dragon. The overall mission is to land on the International Space Station (ISS) that orbits the Earth multiple times every day and then return back to Earth safely. Many have asked why this launch to space is so monumental. The answer to that is two-fold: for the first time, two American astronauts are riding in a vehicle not made by NASA, but by a private company and the Crew Dragon Capsule is being launched on American soil. A launch has not happened in America since the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011. Since then, NASA astronauts had to pay Russia $90 million dollars each for a seat, making space travel very expensive for the United States. By having a private company like SpaceX, there is the possibility that costs will be lowered and that space exploration will be more accessible.
Elon Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, has worked hard for over two decades to complete its goal of sending people into space. With its safe launch and landing to the ISS, the mission is only half complete. The mission is scheduled to last up to 110 days and, until everybody returns to Earth safely, only the first phase of the mission is complete. There are many critical weeks that lie ahead in regards to safety and technical reviews. The expected date of return is not set in stone, but we should see a return in 6 to 16 weeks. The Crew Dragon is designed with four parachutes to ensure a safe landing somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean where there will be a recovery boat to take both the astronauts and the capsule back to land. If the mission is successful, a second mission will take place in August, with four more astronauts headed to the ISS.
Every mission that SpaceX conducts contributes to its greater mission, which is to send non-astronauts into space. Furthermore, SpaceX is also linked to the Artemis Program. The goal of the Artemis Program is to eventually haul cargo to a space station that NASA plans to send into orbit around Earth's moon. The early stages of the mission are still being carried out in Texas, but so far, none of the tests have been successful.
Musk has also shown indications of interest in developing a Starship program set on colonization on the planet Mars. If the Crew Dragon Capsule is successful, there will be no limit to what will be next in space travel. As Neil Armstrong once said, “This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
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