SpaceX is gearing up for its first astronaut launch of the year, scheduled to take place in a few hours from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL. The mission will see three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut heading to the International Space Station.
Earlier this week, the launch was delayed due to inclement weather. NASA officials are closely monitoring the weather conditions, not only at the launch pad but also further out in the Atlantic Ocean. It is crucial to ensure a clear path over the Atlantic Ocean directly beneath the rocket's anticipated trajectory in case of an emergency splashdown.
The crew of three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut will spend six months at the International Space Station, conducting approximately 250 experiments. These experiments will include studies on the effects of long-term space travel on the human body, laying the groundwork for future long-term missions to the lunar South Pole.
NASA is increasingly turning to private sector spacecraft, such as Intuitive Machines' Moon lander, Odysseus, to explore potential landing sites. This strategy aims to enhance exploration while reducing costs by involving the commercial industry in funding space missions.
An inflation-adjusted analysis by the Planetary Society reveals a significant decrease in the cost of sending astronauts to low Earth orbit over the years. The cost has dropped from $390 million for Apollo seven in 1968 to about $170 million during the space shuttle program era. Currently, the cost per seat aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon is estimated to be between $60 and $67 million.
The upcoming launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon is scheduled for 11:16 p.m. Eastern time tonight, marking another milestone in the advancement of space exploration.
