Successful Launch of First US Private Manned Spacecraft... Docking with ISS After 19 Hours (Comprehensive Report 2)

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The United States' first privately operated manned spacecraft carrying two NASA astronauts took off powerfully on the 30th (local time).

SpaceX, founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, launched the manned spacecraft 'Crew Dragon' at 3:22 p.m. Eastern Time (4:22 a.m. Korean Time on the 31st) from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

This marks the first time in nine years that a manned spacecraft has been launched from American soil.

As a private company, SpaceX became the protagonist announcing the dawn of the private space exploration era by launching a manned spacecraft for the first time.

Launch pad 39A, from which Crew Dragon was launched, holds the glorious history of launching Apollo 11, the first manned spacecraft to successfully land on the moon in 1969.

Crew Dragon carried NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley (53) and Robert Behnken (49), who will dock with the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting 400 km above Earth about 19 hours later.

After launch, Crew Dragon separated from its booster rockets within 12 minutes and entered orbit heading toward the ISS. Docking with the ISS is scheduled for 10 a.m. on the 31st (11 p.m. Korean Time on the 31st).

Crew Dragon is a converted cargo spacecraft by SpaceX into a manned spacecraft with a maximum capacity of seven, but only two astronauts boarded this time.

Both are veterans with NASA space shuttle flight experience; Hurley is responsible for the launch and return of Crew Dragon, while Behnken is in charge of the docking mission.

Notably, Hurley set a historic record by piloting the last American space shuttle Atlantis in July 2011 and now commanding the first manned flight of Crew Dragon, opening the era of private space exploration.

If the two successfully dock with the ISS, they will stay for a period ranging from one month to up to four months to conduct research missions.

This launch is expected to be an opportunity for the United States, which has been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, to showcase its space science technology to the world and restore its wounded pride.

Since ending NASA's space shuttle program in 2011, the U.S. has sent its astronauts to space aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.

NASA has emphasized that this launch is "putting American astronauts on an American rocket and launching from American soil."

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said, "Everyone can look up and say, 'Look, the future is brighter than the present,'" adding, "Today's launch will inspire the world."

The mission, named 'Demo-2,' is to test whether Crew Dragon and its rocket can safely carry passengers to space and back.

After Crew Dragon returns, NASA and SpaceX will analyze flight data to certify that this spacecraft can regularly carry up to four astronauts to and from the ISS.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center to witness the launch. After watching, President Trump said, "Incredible," and added, "This is just the beginning."

The Washington Post (WP) evaluated this flight as a successful outcome of NASA's risky gamble during the Barack Obama administration to delegate astronaut flights to the private sector.

It also reported that for SpaceX, this marks the climax of a long journey that began in 2002 when Musk founded the company aiming for Mars travel, a journey that once seemed unlikely to be realized.

The Crew Dragon launch succeeded on the second attempt after being postponed once.

SpaceX and NASA initially planned to launch Crew Dragon on the 27th, but the countdown was halted 16 minutes and 54 seconds before the scheduled launch time due to weather issues such as thick clouds.