SpaceX Demo-2 Mission Marks Historic Return of American Astronaut Launches
NASA highlights a striking infrared image of the SpaceX Demo-2 launch that carried two astronauts to the International Space Station. This milestone mission brings human spaceflight back to American soil for the first time since 2011.
NASA shares a striking black and white infrared image of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as it carries the Crew Dragon spacecraft into orbit. This historic launch takes place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley safely onboard.
The Demo-2 mission serves as the first crewed flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. This test flight provides a complete end-to-end demonstration of SpaceX's crew transportation system.
This launch officially begins a new era of human spaceflight by returning astronaut launches to American soil for the first time since the Space Shuttle Program ends in 2011. NASA recognizes this spectacular infrared photograph as one of the top images of 2020 selected by the agency's photo team.