SpaceX, NASA successfully launch first operational astronaut mission to space

스페이스X, NASA 첫 민간 운용우주선 발사 성공

Opening the "new era of human spaceflight".
That's what NASA called Sunday's launching of four astronauts into space,... in partnership with SpaceX.
Lee Kyung-eun tells us more about the milestone lift-off.
It was “a go”,... and history was made.
After a one-day delay due to bad weather,.. SpaceX and NASA successfully launched their first operational mission on Sunday… sending four astronauts into space.
Dubbed the "Crew-1" mission, it was the result of a NASA's multi-billion dollar investment, years of preparation,... and two successful test flights.
The crew was transported by a Dragon capsule named "Resilience" mounted on a Falcon-9 Rocket, developed by SpaceX.
That makes the American company, so far, the only private firm to have launched a fully-fledged human-rated spacecraft into space.
It also marks NASA's first crewed mission in over a decade,.. without having to rely on Russian technology.
Since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011, the U.S. has paid Russia to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.
"But most of all, it's a partnership with SpaceX and our commercial partners and, you know, leaving the team over there in the firing room, everybody is so fired up."
After arrival at the ISS late Monday, the four members will stay there for an extended period of six months on a science-related mission.
But that's not the end for NASA and SpaceX.
"In the next 15 months, we should be flying roughly seven Dragon missions, and this mission represents the initiation of a dragon in orbit continuously, knocking on wood..."
NASA says Sunday's launch opens a new era of human spaceflight,.. and takes a step closer to lowering costs.
Among those monitoring the milestone moment was U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
But the founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, had to watch the launch from afar,...as he tweeted on the previous day that he "most likely" had a moderate case of COVID-19.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.

2020-11-17, 10:00 (KST)

#SpaceX #NASA #astronaut