NASA-SpaceX's Crew Dragon makes 'history-making' liftoff into the space

The 'historic' NASA-SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule blasted off from Kennedy Space Center's historic Launch Pad 39A on May 30 at 3:22pm EDT to the International Space Station from the American turf for the first time in nine years. Even though the unfavourable weather conditions and fear of thunderstorms caused some delay on May 27 in the ‘#LaunchAmerica’ program, both NASA and Space X made a significant leap three days later towards the ‘revolutionization’ of commercial space travel. Space veterans Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken rode off the capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from the launch pad which was used by the Apollo Moon missions nearly half a century ago. 

Watch the much-awaited liftoff here:

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70-30 launch

NASA was previously looking at a 50 per cent chance of the weather being in a favourable condition on May 30 for the rescheduled NASA-SpaceX Crew Dragon launch. However, as per the latest weather update, there is 70 per cent chance of good weather and the Crew Dragon mission is currently "go for launch". After millions were disappointed with poor atmospheric conditions forcing the historic ‘Launch America’ mission to be aborted on May 27, the chances of the launch being successful on Saturday had remained equally grim until the latest weather clearance.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said that the weather conditions are expected to remain the same for the next couple of days as well. Therefore, currently, the mission was on the go with a constant tap on the atmosphere. Last time, the mission was cancelled just over 17 minutes before the countdown was set to begin, but the mission crew has said that the enthusiasm has not been diminished with the scrub. 

SpaceX is the first private company to be a part of the space program, its CEO Elon Musk had hailed the accomplishment as a “dream come true”. The two US astronauts were seen smiling, waving and giving the thumbs up as they debuted in the SpaceX spacesuit yet again after the mission was scrubbed last time and got readied to board the commercially built rocket and spacecraft. Musk also noted that the mission is not only momentous for him, but also for ‘everyone' at the SpaceX.

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‘Herculean task’

Moreover, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine had lauded the entire launch as a “herculean task” and called it a “monumental achievement” noting that the enthusiasm of the entire launch was not diminished. He also said that the astronauts have been "ready to go for a long time". It has been revealed that the designing of the SpaceX Dragon capsule was started from scratch at least 12 years ago to travel to the Space Station. Bridenstine said that NASA let the “commercial industry innovate” and that led to solutions that were ‘undreamed of before’. According to the NASA Administrator, that aspect remains the ‘real success’ of the #LaunchAmerica.

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