Demo-2 mission: NASA to launch Astronauts to space first time in 11 years

On April 18, 2020, NASA announced that it will launch its flight of astronauts on May 27, 2020. This is the first flight of NASA in 9 years.

Highlights

The mission is to use Falcon-9 rocket. The astronauts are to be sent for an extended stay at the international space station. The mission is to be launched by SpaceX. It is the first crewed launch of the Elon Musk space company. The mission of NASA sending astronauts to International Space Station has been named “Commercial Crew Programme”.

Demo Mission

The Demo-1 Mission of NASA was launched by SpaceX. Demo-1 was the first uncrewed test flight to be launched to the International Space Station. Currently, SpaceX and Boeing are the space taxi providers of NASA.

Commercial Crew Programme

The Commercial Crew Programme was funded by the US Government. It was administered by NASA. Under the programme, the private vendors will operate crew vehicles to carry astronauts to the International Space Station. The unmanned mission Demo-1 is also a part of Commercial Crew Programme.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2020