SpaceX Launches First Reusable Crewed Spaceflight 'Crew-2'

4 Astronauts Onboard

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The American space exploration company SpaceX launched a spacecraft that reused both the crew capsule and the propulsion rocket.

According to foreign media including AP and AFP, NASA announced that on the 23rd (local time) at 5:49 a.m. (6:49 p.m. Korean time on the 23rd), a SpaceX spacecraft carrying four astronauts was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This launch, named 'Crew-2,' is the first case where SpaceX reused both the rocket and the capsule in a crewed flight. AFP explained that cost reduction through reuse is one of the core goals of SpaceX and NASA.

The Falcon 9 propulsion rocket used on this day was also used during the Crew-1 mission in November last year, and the 'Crew Dragon' crew capsule had previously flown in space in May last year.

Crew-2's mission is to send four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and bring back the Crew-1 astronauts who were on the ISS. The launch was originally scheduled for the 22nd but was delayed by one day due to bad weather along the Atlantic coast near the launch site. SpaceX and NASA broadcasted the launch live on YouTube.

The Crew-2 crew members are Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur from NASA, Akihiko Hoshide from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Thomas Pesquet, a former French Air Force pilot representing the European Space Agency (ESA). They plan to stay on the ISS for six months to conduct scientific experiments and maintenance work. The four Crew-1 crew members are scheduled to return to Earth on the 28th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.