SPACE TO GROUND: Latest Happenings Aboard International Space Station
By Space Coast Daily // June 6, 2020
marking first launch of NASA Astronauts from U.S. soil since 2011
ABOVE VIDEO: Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken lifted off from Kennedy Space Center this week, marking the first launch of NASA Astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – It’s been a historic week in human spaceflight. NASA and Space X have launched humans to the International Space Station in an American vehicle from the Florida coast.
After several years of collaborative development, training and other preparations, the Space X Crew Dragon lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center launch complex 39 on Saturday, May 30th, carry NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken.
The spacecraft completed all launch, rendezvous and docking procedure successfully and officially docked to the International Space Station Sunday morning when the hatches finally open.
They were greeted by friend and now crewmate Chris Cassidy, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishvili and Ivan Degner.
Station, this is the NASA administrator. I will tell you, the whole world saw this mission and we are so, so proud of everything you have done for our country. And in fact, to inspire the world.
We sure appreciate that, sir. Obviously been our honor to be just a small part of this. We have to give credit to the space X, the commercial crew program and of course, NASA. It’s great to get the United States back in the crewed launch business. And we’re just really glad to be onboard this magnificent complex. What do you guys hope to accomplish in your time on the International Space Station?
Well, while we’re on board the space station, of course, with a new spacecraft, we do hope to put her through our paces. And so the good ship Endeavor is going to get a lot of check out over the next week or two here.
And hopefully we’ll be able to declare her operational. And Doug and I will be able to take some burden off of Chris and his crewmates, Ivan and Anatoly, so that we can keep the space station operating at its peak possibility. We’re just proud to be a part of the team that got to bring a spaceflight back to the Florida coast. It was nice to see a vehicle come to the forward portion of the space station. But I’ll tell you what, that’s the only way Doug and I know how to do it.Add Speaker00:02:37.180Currently, Hurley and Banking are scheduled to stay on the space station for up to 90 days.
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