The SpaceX launch is the first of American astronauts from US soil since the space shuttle program ended in 2011 and the first crewed flight ever by a private company. SEE ALSO: NASA astronauts head for ISS on historic SpaceX flight"I'm really quite overcome with emotion," Musk said. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said it was a "great day" for NASA and SpaceX and an "important milestone for the nation." The Crew Dragon mission is a defining moment for SpaceX, which Musk founded in 2002 with the goal of producing a lower-cost alternative to human spaceflight. NASA has had to pay Russia for its Soyuz rockets to take US astronauts to space ever since the shuttle program ended.

Source: Standard Digital May 31, 2020 06:01 UTC