SpaceX along with NASA is all set to launch to Demo-2 today. They had announced the primary crew, Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken, in 2018. It is a first crewed test flight of the Crew Draft Spacecraft.
The Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission is intended to finish the validation process for human-rated spaceflight operations on SpaceX hardware. If successful, the demonstration flight will allow for human-rated certification of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the Falcon 9 rocket, the crew transportation system, launch pad, and SpaceX’s capabilities. The mission includes astronaut testing of Crew Dragon capabilities on orbit.
Info from Wikipedia Page
This is a part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program which concentrates on developing a US commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of achieving reliable and cost-effective access to and from the space station and other destinations in low-earth orbit.
“Commercialization is a big effort on board the International Space Station,” said Kirk Shireman, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program.
The agency has also adopted a five-part plan to enable a thriving economy in low-Earth orbit, including adopting new policies that allow some commercial and marketing activities to take plan on the space station, creating the opportunity for future private astronaut missions, supporting the development of new commercial destinations, and pursuing activities that foster new and emerging markets.
It is said to improve public-private partnership in all space related missions. This will ensure increase in commercial transportation.
This mission is a big leap towards space advancement and humanity. The successfulness of this mission may result in not just business profits but also scientific and technological.
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