Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to launch two NASA astronauts into space for the first crewed mission in SpaceX history. The mission, titled Demo-2, also marks the first time NASA astronauts will launch from the U.S. since 2011. The historic event was scheduled to take place today at 4:33 p.m ET, but the launch was delayed due to unfavorable weather, according to SpaceX’s Twitter account. The next launch opportunity will take place on Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 p.m. ET.
How to Watch the SpaceX Demo-2 Launch
- When: Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC, National Geographic
- Stream: Watch with Subscription to Hulu + Live TV
The Demo-2 mission will take off from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, the same location for the Apollo 11 and STS-135 missions. Crew Dragon, the name of the spaceship slated to execute the mission, will carry veteran Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, as they become the first people to fly in a new type of spacecraft. “[Crew Dragon] is an evolved version of the company’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft, which has launched to-and-from the space station 20 times. Just as Cargo Dragon was the first privately developed spacecraft to bring supplies to the ISS, so Crew Dragon will be the first privately developed spacecraft to bring people,” NBC reports.
According to National Geographic, Hurley and Behnken were specially selected back in 2015 as they are both former military test pilots with Hurley serving in the Marines and Behnken in the Air Force. They have also been colleagues since they joined NASA in 2000 as part of Astronaut Group 18.
Both men are also married to astronauts. “Hurley’s wife, Karen Nyberg, recently retired from NASA after two space missions, including a long-duration stay aboard the space station, while Behnken’s wife, Megan McArthur, helped repair the Hubble Space Telescope during a final shuttle servicing mission in 2009,” CBS News noted.
Demo-2, is NASA’s attempt to reduce dependence on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from ISS. Since the space shuttle was retired back in 2011, the U.S. has paid Russia upwards of $80 million per seat to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, according to NBC. Since then, NASA has doled out contracts worth billions of dollars to SpaceX and Boeing to create new spacecraft. The resulting program, which developed Crew Dragon, is titled Commercial Crew.
How to Stream the SpaceX Demo-2 Launch
You can stream the SpaceX Demo-2 Launch live with a Live TV Streaming Service, or you can watch with your TV Everywhere credentials using the ABC and Nat Geo mobile apps for iOS and Android or watch on their sites.
Photo credit: SpaceX Twitter account
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