spacetoday.net: Crew Dragon launched on first human orbital spaceflight from US in nine years

Posted: Sun, May 31, 2020, 8:42 AM ET (1242 GMT)
Falcon 9 launch of Demo-2 (NASA)

A Crew Dragon spacecraft with two NASA astronauts on board reached orbit Saturday after a successful launch. The SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off at 3:22 pm EDT (1922 GMT) from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, placing the Crew Dragon spacecraft into orbit 12 minutes later. The spacecraft, dubbed "Endeavour" by the NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, on board, is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station Sunday morning. The launch was the first human orbital launch from the US since the end of the shuttle program in July 2011, and the first commercially operated crewed vehicle to reach orbit. Once at the station, the Crew Dragon will remain there for up to four months so that Behnken and Hurley can support ISS operations, given there are currently only three people on board.