This is the first time in almost ten years that NASA will be sending a crew from American soil, making it a historic moment.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will be launching American astronauts into space in an American rockets from American soil for the first time in 10 years in May this year.

This is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program which works in association with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Boeing. The main aim of the programme is to create lunch systems which will be able to take astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and to low Earth orbits.

NASA wrote on its website, “As the final flight test for SpaceX, this mission will validate the company’s crew transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities. This also will be the first time NASA astronauts will test the spacecraft systems in orbit.”

As part of the programme, American astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be sent to the ISS on May 27 from the iconic Kennedy Space Station located in Florida. This was the same space station that was used to launch the Apollo missions.

This is the first time in almost ten years that NASA will be sending a crew from American soil, making it a historic moment.

NASA’s Jim Bridenstine announced the same in a tweet. “BREAKING: On May 27, @NASA will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil! With our @SpaceX partners, @Astro_Doug and @AstroBehnken will launch to the @Space_Station on the #CrewDragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Let’s #LaunchAmerica ??” he wrote.

Sending the two astronauts to space will be a feat in itself and the mission is likely to last for a duration of 110 days also NASA specifies that the time period may change depending on a number of factors. This particular mission is also important for Musk and SpaceX because it would be the first instance of a private organisation sending NASA astronauts into space.

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