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9 things to know about NASA’s 1st manned rocket launch in 9 years

By James Tutten, WFTV.com

9 things to know about NASA’s 1st manned rocket launch in 9 years SpaceX and NASA are about a week away from a historic flight to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center. (Source: )

By James Tutten, WFTV.com

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX and NASA are about a week away from a historic flight to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center.

This will be the first manned launch to the space station from the U.S. since the retirement of the shuttle program.

Read: 9 out-of-this-world facts about SpaceX

Here are 9 facts to know about the launch:

1. Space Shuttle Atlantis was the last manned launch from the U.S. since 2011. The spacecraft has been on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors’ Complex since 2012.

2. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch from Launch Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral, the same launch pad used to send Apollo astronauts to the moon.

3. Due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, NASA officials have asked that people not gather at Florida’s Space Coast in large groups to view the launch in person.

Watch: NASA asking public to not show up for historic launch

4. This launch will be the final test for SpaceX as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which started in 2010 and uses government funding to support private companies aimed at manned launches.

5. NASA veterans and former space shuttle astronauts Col. Doug Hurley and Col. Bob Behnken will be the first to fly in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.

6. After successfully docking with the space station, Behnken and Hurley will become members of the Expedition 63 crew, along with astronaut Capt. Chris Cassidy, and will remain onboard the ISS for two to three months.

Watch: Tom Cruise and NASA to film movie at International Space Station

7. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is capable of staying in orbit for at least 210 days, which is a NASA requirement.

8. After leaving the space station, the Crew Dragon will splashdown just off Florida’s coast and the crew will be picked up at sea by SpaceX’s Go Navigator recovery vessel before returning to Cape Canaveral.

9. NASA says the agency is using this partnership with SpaceX and other companies to focus on missing to the space station so it can spend more resources on the Artemis program, which aims to send the first woman and the next man to the lunar surface in 2024 and is planning future missions to Mars.

Channel 9 will have live coverage of the historic launch, which is scheduled for 3:22 p.m. May 30.

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