Humanity took another step towards achieving the impossible: the launch and safe arrival of the SpaceX Dragon crew on the International Space Station since the mission to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station on American vehicles hasn’t happened since 2011.
The Dragon was launched by a Falcon 9 rocket on May 30, 2020, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and carried two astronauts, Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken. After a short delay caused by the weather, the Dragon crew began their journey, and Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley safely approached the ISS. Bob has also participated in the STS-123 and STS-130 missions and is now a retired Chief of the Astronaut Office. Doug has also participated in two other missions: STS-127 and STS-135. The two astronauts credited SpaceX, the Commercial Crew Program, and NASA upon arrival. They both stated that the spacecraft flew “just like it was supposed to,” and it was “exactly like the simulator.” However, the comeback was quite spectacular because of the reusable rocket that the spacecraft uses.
The Dragon became the first private mission to safely send humans to the ISS. Millions worldwide watched the launch and their arrival. Congrats, Dragon and have more successful missions in the future!
