Elon Musk retweets 9-year-old tweet to mark Crew Dragon launch; here's the reason

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk retweeted a post by the company from way back in 2011 when it announced that ‘flag capturing sequence’ has commenced. While most people on the internet had forgotten about the claim, the ‘man of few words’, Musk made sure that his followers remember his ‘promise’ has been delivered by the NASA-SpaceX Crew Dragon launch on May 30 from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A.

The recent mission is being hailed as ‘history-making’ because it marks the return of the US to space after nearly nine years. America has been successful in sending off US astronauts in a commercially built spacecraft from American soil after 2011 when the last Space Shuttle went off. However, the Space Shuttle crew had placed an American flag on the International Space Station that said “only to be removed by crew launching from KSC”, that is Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX, then claimed in 2011 that a project which will mark the return of the flag was underway, Musk recalled that it on May 31 as the mission was accomplished.

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US astronauts from KSC to ISS

The two astronauts, who flew a SpaceX rocket and capsule to space for the first time, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are ‘hoping to not mess too many things’ at the International Space Station. After being welcomed by Astronaut Chris Cassidy on board, Doug said that he and Behnken are ‘happy’ to be a part of the team and are looking forward to assisting the ISS crew after blasting off into space from Kennedy Space Center after nine years. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine also congratulated the newest members of the ISS and informed that “whole world” saw the NASA-SpaceX Crew Dragon mission on May 30 on its second attempt.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule had successfully docked with the International Space Station at 10:16am ET on May 31 with US Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken. The Crew Dragon is the fifth spaceship to have been parked at the station but only the first to be manufactured by a private company. In a joint venture by NASA and SpaceX, the Crew Dragon capsule blasted off into space on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 on May 30 at 3:22pm ET and at least 19 hours later, Hurley and Behnken joined the ISS crew. According to reports, Crew Dragon’s linkup was automatic and it has occurred at least 422kilometers above the China-Mongolia border. 

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Image Source: AP