SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule successfully blasted off Saturday on its first uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station (ISS). The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the capsule lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida…
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule successfully blasted off Saturday on its first uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the capsule lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 2:49 a.m. ET, generating 1.7 million pounds of thrust and thundering into space from launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.
The capsule successfully separated from the rocket about 11 minutes later.
There was no human crew on board, but the capsule was carrying a mannequin (named Ripley) so SpaceX can see if the capsule is safe enough for astronaut transport. The Crew Dragon capsule is expected to arrive at the space station on Sunday (March 3) at around 6:05 a.m. ET.
The historic unmanned test flight marks the first time a commercially-built and operated American crew spacecraft and rocket was launched to the ISS.
“Today’s successful launch marks a new chapter in American excellence, getting us closer to once again flying American astronauts on American rockets from American soil,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a press release. “I proudly congratulate the SpaceX and NASA teams for this major milestone in our nation’s space history. This first launch of a space system designed for humans, and built and operated by a commercial company through a public-private partnership, is a revolutionary step on our path to get humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
