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Photo by: Marc Hamilton / EyeEm

Marc Hamilton / EyeEm

NASA and SpaceX to Launch a Crewed Mission to ISS in May 2020

By: Leah Weber

For the first time since its conception 18 years ago, SpaceX, along with NASA, will launch a crewed mission to space.

April 17, 2020

It was announced today that May 27, 2020 (pending weather conditions) will be the launch date for the next crewed mission to space. NASA along with their partner, SpaceX will team up for #LaunchAmerica and for the first time from America in 9 years, two NASA astronauts will crew the Dragon spacecraft on a journey towards the International Space Station. This flight marks the beginning of a new American journey beyond our atmosphere for mankind.

Prior to this flight, Russia was the only country transporting both astronauts and cosmonauts to the International Space Station since NASA suspended the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

Astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley will lift off from Florida's Kennedy Space Station at 4:32 PM Eastern Time on that Wednesday in May. This launch will look a little different than its predecessors, because due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no crowds viewing the launch in person.

Stay with Discovery.com for the latest updates on this and more NASA and SpaceX news.

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