Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the Moon and planets from space? Astronauts can do just that, and soon we may be able to as well! Scientists have designed the Crew Dragon spacecraft that can take ordinary people—just like you and me—to space!
On May 30, 2020, the Crew Dragon blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was exciting because it was the first time in a decade that the United States launched a manned spacecraft. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, and the company SpaceX worked together. For this first trip, they chose two veteran astronauts. Their mission was to test how well the Crew Dragon spacecraft flies to and from space. The goal is commercial space flight, which would allow ordinary people to purchase tickets to space! That’s kind of out of this world!
Although most of the mission was controlled by teams from NASA and SpaceX from Earth, the astronauts performed test flights. The test flights were done to make sure they can take control of the spacecraft in an emergency situation.
Before the Crew Dragon landed earlier this month, NASA and SpaceX started preparing for the Crew Dragon’s next mission in September. They say it will be ready for commercial flights late next year!
What Do You Think? Would you volunteer for a Crew Dragon mission?
Photo Credit: (t)Bill Ingalls/NASA, (b)Bill Ingalls/NASA
