The capsul­e separa­ted from the Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket as planne­d after take offCAPE CANAVERAL: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off Saturday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying a new Dragon capsule designed to carry NASA astronauts into space in the near future. The capsule separated from the Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket as planned after taking off from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Watch: https://t.co/Fm5NQSfAXJ pic.twitter.com/YoiOf67kQL — NASA (@NASA) March 2, 2019“It’s been a long eight years,” said Bob Cabana, the Kennedy Space Center’s director and a former astronaut. NASA greenlights SpaceX crew capsule test to ISSAfter the shuttle program was shuttered in 2011 after a 30-year run, NASA began outsourcing the logistics of its space missions. Planning has been delayed by around three years, with the first manned SpaceX flight still penciled in for July, though officials frequently refer to the end of 2019 as a more realistic deadline.

Source: The Express Tribune March 02, 2019 08:03 UTC