A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, ultimately sacrificing itself to test a Crew Dragon capsule's life-saving abort capabilities.
The in-flight abort was the last major milestone SpaceX had to achieve before launching astronauts from U.S. soil to the International Space Station. After data reviews, more parachute testing, and other verifications, Bridenstine and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed the first crewed flight could occur sometime in the second quarter of this year.
The hardware for that flight, known as Demo-2, should arrive at KSC by late February or early March for its pad 39A liftoff. Onboard will beMusk, who also attended the post-launch conference at KSC, said it was a"picture-perfect" mission. "It went as well as we could possibly expect," Musk said."This is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of SpaceX and NASA teams to achieve this goal. I'm super fired up."
Beachgoers who see Falcon 9 debris should stay away from the materials and immediately call 866-623-0234. At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 40, meanwhile, SpaceX teams are still slated to launch yet another Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday on a mission to deliver 60 Starlink internet communications satellites to low-Earth orbit. That launch is expected at 11:59 a.m.
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