SpaceX successfully launches astronauts into space; third crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS)
Nickie Louise
Posted On April 23, 2021
They did it again! Elon Musk’s SpaceX and NASA have successfully launched astronauts into space. This launch is the third crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This launch is also special because it was launched using a reused Dragon spacecraft for the first time.
A SpaceX Crew Dragon aboard a Falcon 9 rocket carrying four astronauts blasted off from the Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:49 a.m. ET on Friday. The launch had been delayed from Thursday due to bad weather.
Early Friday morning under darkness, the launch took off without a hitch, successfully sending the astronauts into orbit within the Crew Dragon capsule.
SpaceX shares videos of the launch on Twitter. Here’s the liftoff of Falcon 9 and Dragon.
Liftoff of Falcon 9 and Dragon! pic.twitter.com/g6Oi8qwU2Y
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 23, 2021
“Main engine cutoff and stage separation confirmed. Second stage engine burn underway,” SpaceX tweeted.
Main engine cutoff and stage separation confirmed. Second stage engine burn underway pic.twitter.com/dyvxICjavF
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 23, 2021
NASA also shared the video of the launch.
3.. 2.. 1.. and liftoff! Endeavour launches once again. Four astronauts from three countries on Crew-2, now making their way to the one and only @Space_Station: pic.twitter.com/WDAl8g7bUK
— NASA (@NASA) April 23, 2021
On May 30, 2020, SpaceX and NASA made history after SpaceX carried two NASA astronauts into space from American soil after nearly a decade. Space X became the first commercial company to take humans into space.
