- SpaceX will launch four NASA astronauts and one astronaut from Japan’s JAXA space agency on its first operational crewed mission to the International Space Station.
- The launch is tentatively scheduled for later this year but will entirely depend on the success of SpaceX’s crewed test flight slated to take place in late May.
- It’s unclear if the coronavirus pandemic will affect the test or operational launch dates, but for the moment the schedule remains intact.
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SpaceX’s first operational crewed launch for NASA will include a total of four astronauts. This is up from the previous total of just two and was announced via a NASA press release. The space agency revealed the addition of NASA’s Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The pair will be joining the previously-announced duo of NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins and Victor Glover Jr.
All four travelers will be making their way to the International Space Station via a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch will mark the first operational mission for SpaceX and will come after the first SpaceX crewed test flight, which is currently scheduled to launch by late May.
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SpaceX’s first crewed operational mission just doubled its passengers originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 31 Mar 2020 at 20:07:09 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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