SpaceX is preparing to launch astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for the second time, a feat that moves private launches of crew into space from a novelty to a regular event.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft is expected to lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket on 15 November.
The capsule will carry four astronauts: three from NASA, and one from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 鈥� the first astronaut from one of NASA鈥檚 international partners to fly with SpaceX. Once they get to the ISS, their mission will last about six months before Crew Dragon brings them back home.
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SpaceX has flown two NASA astronauts to space once before, in a May mission called Demo-2. That was the first time a private company had put humans into orbit, so it was primarily a demonstration, meant to show that SpaceX could do so safely. This flight, called Crew-1, will be the company鈥檚 first operational mission, meaning it is now fully certified to carry people to space.
鈥淒emo-2 was the first baby step, and now we鈥檙e starting every other step,鈥� says space analyst Laura Forczyk. 鈥淭he first step may get all the excitement, but walking is the important part.鈥�
Crew-1 and SpaceX鈥檚 certification to carry passengers could be the beginning of a new era of private space flight in which launches to orbit are more common and flexible, as well as being accessible to more people, Forczyk says.
鈥淭he first time, we were so focused on whether or not SpaceX could actually pull it off, and now we can focus on how it鈥檚 going to transform both the International Space Station and future commercial missions,鈥� she says. SpaceX has two crewed flights planned for 2021.
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