BOB BEHNKEN

Former NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. honor reserved for spaceflight veterans.

Two trailblazing former NASA astronauts will receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on Tuesday (Jan. 31), and you can watch the ceremony live.

The last time the medal was awardedm to Robert Crippen, the pilot of the first space shuttle flight, was in 2006.

Bob Behnken is retiring from NASA after a pioneering 22-year career that includes three spaceflights, including SpaceX's first-ever crewed mission.

NASA on Wednesday announced the award of five more astronauts missions to Elon Musk's SpaceX.

It looks like New Orleans and Florida got quite the show.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon is expected to splash down at 10:33 p.m. off the coast of Florida.

SpaceX's new recovery ships "Bob" and "Doug" sailed into Port Canaveral this month and are named for NASA astronauts.

After a historic career, astronaut Doug Hurley retired from NASA Friday.

Sunday marks one year since humans returned to space during the historic SpaceX Demo-2 launch.

Astronauts captured the once-in-a-lifetime cosmic fireworks show from space.

Transactions between Elon Musk's companies have been relatively small so far, but SpaceX appears to be buying increasingly more parts and services from Tesla.

Having one astronaut for a parent would be pretty unique but for NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Bob Behnken, their son, Theo, has two.

Choose how you want to watch the Crew-2 launch from Cape Canaveral.

NASA and SpaceX announced Thursday the launch date will move from April 20 to no earlier than Thursday, April 22. Also this week, Boeing and NASA announced they are evaluating a new launch date for the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft’s orbital test flight-2, or OFT-2. “Based on the current traffic at the space station, NASA does not anticipate that OFT-2 can be accomplished later in April. NASA and Boeing are working to find the earliest possible launch date,” the agency said. AdWhen it does launch, Starliner will dock at the ISS and return to Earth for its final test before NASA, hopefully, approves the spacecraft to fly astronauts.

A 37-year-old businessman has bought four tickets to space with SpaceX and plans to take along three everyday people with him all while raising money for sick children. After the all-civilian spaceflight crew is announced, Isaacman plans to train with them, including some team bonding. “I am going to ensure that I introduce some very uncomfortable and stressful situations here on Earth long before we go up in space,” Isaacman said. Since NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley’s historic spaceflight, the Crew Dragon has now shuttled four other astronauts to the ISS with plans for two more astronaut launches this year for NASA and its international partners. Axios Space recently announced it has purchased a private spaceflight from SpaceX and four international businessmen will fly in Crew Dragon in early 2022.

The SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first crewed launch of an orbital spaceflight from the U.S. in nearly a decade. The DOJ last week asked Wilner to order SpaceX to comply with a subpoena demanding that the space exploration company provide information and documents related to its hiring and employment eligibility verification processes. The subpoena would require the production of confidential personnel records of more than 3,500 employees, SpaceX has said. Hutter is not a U.S. citizen, but according to a document filed by SpaceX in response to the DOJ subpoena hs is a "lawful permanent [U.S.] resident holding dual citizenship from Austria and Canada." In that case, Wilner ruled in favor of the EEOC's subpoena to a janitorial services company accused of discriminating against three workers.

In May, SpaceX became the first company ever to launch astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Then, last month, Elon Musk's company launched Crew-1 , its first operational astronaut mission to the station under a $2.6 billion contract with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. St. Nick will travel aboard "his StarSleigh-1 space capsule powered by the Rudolph Rocket," FAA officials wrote in a statement . "The mission license includes both launch and reentry operations and will occur from a U.S.-based spaceport." But how he made those previous trips is unclear, since the newly issued license is the first commercial one that the FAA has given to Santa.

The Dragon spacecraft nicknamed Resilience will arrive at the International Space Station about 27 hours after launch, around 11 p.m. Monday. The Dragon spacecraft launch escape system is armed. 4:58 p.m. Space fans ready to watch Falcon 9 launchPeople in Titusville at Space View park came out to watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with four astronauts from Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 15, 2020. SpaceX suit technicians known as SpaceX ninjas, wearing all black, helped the astronauts get into the Crew Dragon spacecraft and into their seats. “We are fully booked tomorrow, too.”She said without the Crew-1 launch and the earlier SpaceX launch in May, her B&B might not have survived.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The next astronauts to launch from Kennedy Space Center will begin their journey into space on the SpaceX Dragon capsule named Resilience. NASA said American astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will catch a ride to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. They have been training to fly in the SpaceX Dragon spaceship together at the company’s headquarters in California. On Tuesday, Hopkins revealed the astronauts have named their spacecraft Resilience. The first Crew Dragon to launch humans was named Endeavour by its passengers, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. Looking a little toasty after a historic splashdown on the Gulf Coast, SpaceXs astronaut spacecraft will arrive back at Cape Canaveral on Friday afternoon. The Crew Dragon spacecraft nicknamed Endeavour is set to arrive by boat coming into Port Canaveral sometime around 5 p.m. News 6 will be there as the boat called Go Navigator makes its way into Port with the capsule. Behnken said next, before the parachutes deployed slowing the spacecraft from 350 mph to about 15 mph for splashdown, they could feel Crew Dragon maneuver itself for re-entry using its thrusters. Once the spacecraft is back at Cape Canaveral, the work begins to determine if NASA can issue the final flight certification for Dragon. Another astronaut crew, with three NASA astronauts and one Japanses astronaut, are set to launch on another Crew Dragon spacecraft in late September.

Space travel is powered by data and lots of it. Space dads Bob and Doug are back from their historic journey, its time to let the data do the talking. CBS News space correspondent Bill Harwood said all the info now has to be analyzed before we can declare Dragons mission a success. Its going to be a full-up mission to the international space station. Right now NASA has targeted late September for SpaceX's next crewed mission.

In this frame grab from NASA TV video, astronauts Bob Behnken, left, and Doug Hurley wave during a news conference, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Houston. The two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown carried out by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. (NASA TV via AP)

The two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown carried out by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. Two days after returning from the International Space Station, NASA’s Bob Behnken described in vivid detail their wild ride home. “Once we descended a little bit into the atmosphere, the Dragon really, it came alive,” Behnken said from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. SpaceX became the first private company to send astronauts into orbit with the May 30 liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, ending a nine-year launch drought from home soil for NASA astronauts. It was the first splashdown for NASA astronauts in 45 years.

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will talk about their historic return home from the International Space Station on Tuesday for the first time since their SpaceX spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend. Hurley and Behnken launched on the SpaceX Dragon capsule, nicknamed Endeavour, from Kennedy Space Center on May 30, arriving on the International Space Station the next day. After more than two months in space, the duo journeyed back to Earth in the SpaceX spacecraft in about 19 hours. It was the first spacecraft splashdown in 45 years. The launch, docking and splashdown marked the final test flight for SpaceXs astronaut capsule before NASA can issue a certification for regular flights for its astronauts.

SpaceX returned two NASA astronauts to Earth Sunday in a dramatic splashdown avoiding a tropical storm and safely returning the pair known as the “space dads” home. The splashdown marked the first by NASA astronauts in 45 years and the first with a commercial spacecraft. SpaceX Dragon capsule being pulled onto the Go Navigator recovery boat in the Gulf of Mexico on Aug. 2, 2020. Private vessels in the splashdown area were told to leave as they attempted to approach the SpaceX spacecraft. After being the last to leave the capsule, Hurley thanked everyone involved in the mission.

The astronaut pair were the first to launch on the SpaceX spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center on May 30 to the International Space Station, marking the first human spaceflight from U.S. soil since 2011. About a dozen private vessels in the splashdown area were told to leave as they attempted to approach the SpaceX spacecraft. Outside of those vessels Coast Guard boats should be the only other ones in the area for 10 miles. On Sunday, the private boats could be seen surrounding the recovery effort on the NASA livestream. The lesson learned here is we probably need more Coast Guard assets, maybe some more SpaceX and NASA assets as well, Shotwell said.

(Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken successfully returned to Earth for the first splashdown in 45 years Sunday in their SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. The splashdown went as planned and landed into calm seas at 2:48 p.m.Welcome back to Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX, mission control told the astronauts. The milestone completed the SpaceX Demo-2 test mission for Dragon, the first test flight with astronauts to the International Space Station. Heres a timeline of the events prior to and after splashdown:1:51 p.m. Crew Dragon performs claw separation. 2:32 p.m. Crew Dragon maneuvers to attitude for re-entry: Dragon experiences significant heating and drag as it re-enters Earths atmosphere, which slows the velocity to the point of safe parachute deploy.

In this image from video made available by NASA, astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Bob Behnken prepare for undocking from the International Space Station, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. (NASA via AP)

In this image from video made available by NASA, astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Bob Behnken prepare for undocking from the International Space Station, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. Space station commander Chris Cassidy rang the ship's bell as Dragon pulled away, 267 miles (430 kilometers) above Johannesburg, South Africa. The astronauts' homecoming will cap a mission that ended a prolonged launch drought in the U.S., which has relied on Russian rockets to ferry astronauts to the space station since the end of the shuttle era. The flag — which also flew on the first shuttle flight in 1981 — became a prize for the company that launched astronauts first. The next SpaceX crew flight is targeted for the end of September.

Space station commander Chris Cassidy rang the ship's bell as Dragon pulled away, 267 miles (430 kilometers) above Johannesburg, South Africa. "It's been a great two months, and we appreciate all you've done as a crew to help us prove out Dragon on its maiden flight, Hurley radioed to the space station. The astronauts' homecoming will cap a mission that ended a prolonged launch drought in the U.S., which has relied on Russian rockets to ferry astronauts to the space station since the end of the shuttle era. In launching Hurley and Behnken from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on May 30, SpaceX became the first private company to send people into orbit. The next SpaceX crew flight is targeted for the end of September.

This image made available by NASA astronaut Bob Behnken on Friday, July 31, 2020, shows him inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station. SpaceX and NASA plan to bring Behnken and Doug Hurley back Sunday afternoon, aiming for splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida Panhandle. (NASA via AP)

This image made available by NASA astronaut Bob Behnken on Friday, July 31, 2020, shows him inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station. SpaceX and NASA plan to bring Behnken and Doug Hurley back Sunday afternoon, aiming for splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida Panhandle. (NASA via AP)

Astronauts returning in the early 1970s from Skylab, NASA’s first space station, did not feel well following splashdown, Hurley noted. Feeling sick “is the way it is with a water landing,” he said during the crew’s final news conference from the International Space Station. The capsule has been docked at the space station since May 31, allowing Hurley and Behnken to chip in with spacewalks and experiments. The plan is for the Dragon to undock from the space station on Saturday, a day before splashdown. “We won’t leave the space station without some good landing opportunities in front of us, good splashdown weather,” Behnken told reporters.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Potential 60 mph wind gusts won’t bode well for a SpaceX spacecraft splashdown planned for this Sunday if the current track of a potential tropical storm holds but NASA officials say the plan to return the astronauts this weekend is still on. SpaceX and NASA teams will be looking at wind speed, wave height, rain, lightning and helicopter operational limits. Seven potential Crew Dragon landing sites. “The NASA team and the SpaceX team remain ‘go’ for return,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said opening up the media briefing after the FRR. NASA and SpaceX will make the final decision Saturday after the astronauts are inside the capsule just before undocking from the space station.

ORLANDO, Fla. Two NASA astronauts are preparing to become the first to complete their spaceflight on SpaceXs new Dragon spacecraft nicknamed Endeavour but Hurricane Isaias may foil those plans. Unfazed by the weather woes, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken told reporters Friday if their planned splashdown off Floridas coast in Dragon Endeavour gets delayed they have plenty of chow and work to do on the International Space Station. NASA and SpaceX officials said there are no issues following a flight readiness review earlier in the week. Theres more chow and I know the space station programs got more work that we can do for those (principal investigators) and other folks that have sent science up here to the space station, Behnken said. Behnkens wife NASA astronaut Megan McArthur will fly on the same Dragon Endeavour spacecraft next year.

On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, SpaceX and NASA cleared the Dragon crew capsule to depart the International Space Station and head home after a two-month flight. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Tropical weather barreling toward Florida could delay this weekends planned return of the first SpaceX crew. On Wednesday, SpaceX and NASA cleared the Dragon crew capsule to depart the International Space Station and head home after a two-month flight. SpaceX is already preparing to launch a second crew to the space station at the end of September. NASA wants six weeks between the splashdown and the launch of the next Dragon crew, for capsule inspections and reviews.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Astronauts squeezed in one last spacewalk Tuesday before turning their attention to the all-important end to SpaceXs first crew flight. NASAs Bob Behnken and Chris Cassidy floated out of the International Space Station on their fourth and final spacewalk in under a month. It was the 10th spacewalk in each of their careers, tying the U.S. record set by previous space station residents. SpaceX is aiming for a splashdown off the Florida coast in August the first splashdown for astronauts in 45 years. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said once Tuesday's spacewalk is finished, the astronauts are going to be focused like a laser on coming home."

They were the first to hitch a ride to the International Space Station on Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon. SpaceX and NASA are targeting September for the next launch of Dragon with astronauts from Kennedy Space Center. On Friday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said SpaceX and NASA are targeting Aug. 1 for a departure of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour by its passengers, and a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 2. NASA has paid the Russian space agency about $84 million a seat to fly its astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX and Boeing were selected in 2014 to develop American-made spacecraft to take over transporting NASA astronauts to space.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Chris Cassidy are going back out into the vacuum of space Wednesday to perform more maintenance on the International Space Station. Watch: https://t.co/AcKX8sGOVD https://t.co/AcKX8sGOVD — NASA (@NASA) July 1, 2020During the prior first walk, the astronauts worked ahead of schedule completing some of the tasks planned for Wednesday. Spacewalking astronauts wear a wrist mirror on each sleeve to get better views while working. pic.twitter.com/vaAzbDWalw — NASA (@NASA) July 1, 2020“I just happened to glance down and I saw this reflecting thing disappearing into the darkness, and that was the last I saw of it,” Cassidy said in an interview with The Associated Press. The astronauts will be recognizable in the NASA TV feed by their spacesuits.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The commander of the International Space Station said Monday that losing a mirror during last weeks otherwise successful spacewalk was a real bummer.NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy said he has no idea how the small mirror on his left sleeve came off. The band for the mirror is on pretty tight, he noted, and it may have caught on a metal tether attachment as he exited the airlock Friday. That was a real bummer for me.Hell use a spare for Wednesdays spacewalk, the second of four he and NASA astronaut Bob Behnken will do to replace old station batteries. Spacewalking astronauts wear a mirror on each sleeve to see the displays on their chest control panel. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education.

Two NASA astronauts did some home maintenance Friday on the orbiting laboratory 200 miles above Earth during a seven-hour spacewalk. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Chris Cassidy ventured out of the International Space Station Friday morning to install batteries outside the station. Once outside, the astronauts began work on one of two power channels on the far starboard truss of the station. https://t.co/SN3Y9zOMwr — NASA (@NASA) June 26, 2020As he stepped out of the ISS, Cassidy lost a small mirror on his spacesuit adding to the millions of pieces of junk orbiting the Earth. While millions of pieces of space debris orbit Earth, more than 20,000 items including old rocket parts and busted satellites are big enough to be tracked in order to safeguard the space station and functional satellites.

This photo provided by NASA shows NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and NASA Flight Engineer Bob Behnken during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Friday, June 26, 2020. Cassidy and Behnken, are conducting the first of at least four spacewalks to replace the last bunch of old station batteries. (NASA via AP)

This photo provided by NASA shows NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and NASA Flight Engineer Bob Behnken during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Friday, June 26, 2020. Cassidy and Behnken, are conducting the first of at least four spacewalks to replace the last bunch of old station batteries. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A spacewalking astronaut added to the millions of pieces of junk orbiting the Earth on Friday, losing a small mirror on his sleeve as soon as he emerged from the International Space Station for battery work. Cassidy and Bob Behnken hustled through the first of four planned spacewalks to replace the last bunch of old station batteries. The spacewalkers also paid tribute to NASA's space station program manager, Kirk Shireman, retiring Friday after 35 years to go into private industry.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will take part in a set of spacewalks outside the International Space Station to begin replacing batteries for one of the ISS’ power channels, according to the space agency. The first of the two walks is set to begin around 7:35 a.m. on June 26, NASA officials said in a news release. Cassidy, the commander of Expedition 63, and Behnken, who joined the crew onboard the ISS last month after arriving on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon with veteran NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, will depart the Quest airlock for both spacewalks, NASA said on its website. As extravehicular crew member 1 for both spacewalks, Cassidy can be identified during the walks as the astronaut wearing the spacesuit with red stripes, NASA officials said. NASA officials said the walks will mark the seventh and eighth spacewalks for each astronaut and the 228th and 229th performed for space station assembly, maintenance and upgrades.

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – The SpaceX rocket booster used to launch NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on their mission to the International Space Station, making history by being the first private rocket to do so, headed back into Port Canaveral Tuesday. The Falcon 9 rocket booster landed at sea on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You about 10 minutes after launching the Crew Dragon spacecraft into orbit Saturday afternoon. The SpaceX launch marked the first time a private company has launched humans to orbit and the first time Americans have launched from U.S. soil since 2011. The first stage is what returned to Port Canaveral Tuesday. [EXCLUSIVE: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk officially launched humans to space -- here’s what he’s planning next]Full Screen 1 / 9 The SpaceX Falcon 9 booster used to launch two NASA astronauts to orbit returns to Port Canaveral via droneship on June 2, 2020.

The flag flew on the first space shuttle flight in 1981 and the final one in 2011. The flag was an added incentive for Elon Musk's SpaceX company and Boeing, competing to be the first private company to launch a crew to the space station. The crew will include Chris Ferguson, commander of the last shuttle flight who now works for Boeing. The Dragon capsule, also built and owned by SpaceX, docked at the space station Sunday. The capsule will serve as their lifeboat during their space station visit.

When NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley blasted off Saturday to the International Space Station, they waived goodbye to their wives and children, not knowing when they’ll return back to Earth. Both men are married to fellow astronauts and each have a young son at home waiting for them. Behnken’s son Theo is 6 while Hurley’s son, Jack, is 10. [EXCLUSIVE: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk officially launched humans to space -- here’s what he’s planning next]The veteran astronauts last launched in 2011, before Theo was born and when Jack was only 1 year old. “That was a super cool thing for us to get the chance to do for both of our sons,” Behnken said.

After becoming the first NASA astronauts to launch from Florida in nine years, astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are reflecting on how flying in their previous spaceship, the space shuttle compares to their new ride built by SpaceX’s the Crew Dragon spacecraft. (Image: Greg Scott) (WKMG 2020)Both Hurley and Behnken said launching on Falcon 9 was very different than the space shuttle. [MORE COVERAGE: Sparkling dinosaur makes journey with NASA astronauts to International Space Station]How’s the bathroom situation? Image above of space shuttle toilet on display at Johnson Space Center in Houston. On Sunday, the astronauts could see the bright light of Crew Dragon as it began to approach.

Two NASA astronauts who arrived at the International Space Station Sunday morning in their new SpaceX spacecraft brought with them a reminder of their young sons who they will spend up to four months without seeing in person. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken brought along a little stuffed dinosaur after the toy was selected by their 6 and 10-year-old sons to join them on the journey. Tremor was going to join Earthy, a plush globe delivered to the space station on last year’s test flight of a crew-less crew Dragon. "We plan once we get on board the space station to reunite Tremor with Earthy (and) plan to bring both of them back to Earth," Behnken said. NASA Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley brought along a stuffed dinosaur from their sons for their trip to the space station.

After launching from Kennedy Space Center Saturday, the astronauts had about 19 hours in the spacecraft before reaching their destination. Prior to launch, Hurley and Behnken said they didnt know how the restroom situation was because they didnt have the experience with it to say. [MORE COVERAGE: How Crew Dragon compares to flying on space shuttle from the first NASA astronauts to do both | How the astronauts sons are coping with their dads in space]Lets see the toilet. NASA: The toilet on the orbiting space station is even more antiquated ((Image: NASA))Its done just absolutely spectacularly, you know, its a very clean vehicle, Hurley said. The fascination with what the astronauts eat and the Dragon commode might speak to everyone because we all eat and we all, you know.

A Return to SpacePublished: May 31, 2020, 9:26 amAstronauts are safely in orbit after the sweetest launch for the SpaceCoast in nearly a decade.

ORLANDO, Fla. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken approached their new temporary home in orbit Sunday morning after zipping around Earth to catch up to the International Space Station. Applause could be heard from SpaceXs mission control in Hawthorne when the hard capture of Crew Dragon at station was confirmed just before 10:30 a.m. Its been a real honor to be part of this nine year endeavour since the U.S. docked a spaceship at the International Space Station, Hurley said with a thumbs up, thanking NASA and SpaceX teams. Already on board station, NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy was keeping an eye on the new spaceship as it approached the orbiting laboratory. Behnken and Hurley will spend anywhere between one to four months on the International Space Station.

Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have joined American Chris Cassidy and two Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station. Later on in the week youll have a chance to see the bright dot, also known as the ISS, zip across the night sky. Friday and Saturday will be the best times, weather permitting, to see the ISS flyover Central Florida. Saturday no doubt offers the best time to see the ISS pass by weather permitting. Saturday presents the best opportunity to see the ISS weather permitting.

The first attempt to launch NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley was scrubbed Wednesday due to weather. Veteran NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are the lone passengers onboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. As part of NASA’s commercial crew program, the U.S. space agency selected SpaceX and Boeing to develop spacecraft to fly NASA astronauts. Crew Dragon hatch closesSpaceX teams have closed the hatch to the Crew Dragon capsule at Launch Complex 39A. Webcast will go live at ~11:00 a.m. EDT → https://t.co/bJFjLCilmc pic.twitter.com/AXDGNfqv0K — SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 30, 20207:40 a.m.

It will be the first astronaut launch from NASAs Kennedy Space Center since the last shuttle flight in 2011. (SpaceX via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken join NASA’s exclusive inner circle by catching a ride on a SpaceX rocket and capsule. Their destination is the International Space Station, where they’ll spend one to four months before guiding their capsule to a splashdown in the Atlantic. Wife Karen Nyberg, a former space station resident, retired two months ago from NASA. As joint operations commander, he'll oversee the Dragon’s rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.

News 6 is giving you a view of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon launch from just about every angle. Saturday is SpaceX’s second try as the private company and NASA work to usher in a new age of space travel with the Demo-2 launch. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are set to take off at 3:22 p.m., weather willing. [READ MORE | Live launch updates: SpaceX set to launch NASA astronauts on Crew Dragon | Timeline: Here’s what NASA astronauts are doing on launch day]If Behnken and Hurley take off, it will mark the first time in nine years NASA astronauts will lift off from the Space Coast. SpaceX and weather officers are also closely watching the launch forecast and conditions in the Atlantic Ocean for recovery conditions in case of a launch abort.

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk celebrates inside the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building after his company successfully launched NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to orbit on May 30, 2020. Behnken and Hurley are veteran astronauts, with 1,400 spaceflight hours between them. During live commentary of the launch SpaceX engineer Lauren Lyons said the astronauts are known as the dads by their team. [MORE COVERAGE: NASA astronauts wave goodbye to families in 2nd attempt to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon]The launch marks the beginning of a new era in U.S. human spaceflight, one shouldered by NASA and commercial companies like SpaceX instead of by the American taxpayer alone. Welcome aboard the @SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft!

Hurley and Behnken are the test pilots tasked with flying to the International Space Station on SpaceXs Crew Dragon spacecraft. The families are familiar with a touching moment, as both Behnken and Hurley married former astronauts who have each have had their own rendezvous with space. pic.twitter.com/QjxLLZrCgm NASA (@NASA) May 30, 2020Behnken is married to astronaut Megan McArthur. After their heartfelt goodbye, the astronauts drove off in the backseat of a Tesla to board SpaceXs Crew Dragon space capsule. Once the rocket lifts off, Crew Dragon will take 19 hours to fly to the International Space Station.

Before launch and the 19-hour journey to the International Space Station once in orbit, NASA Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have a long day of getting ready for their spaceflight. Heres a timeline of what the astronauts will be doing on launch day:8 a.m. According to Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana the astronauts can request anything they want on launch day. [ASTRONAUTS WAITING ON RIDE: Heres what NASA astronauts are doing between launch attempts]12:07 p.m. The Crew Dragon launch escape system is armed, this would send the capsule away if there is a problem at any point prior to launch.

If it goes off as planned, this will mark the first mission involving astronauts from U.S. soil since 2011. Still, NASA astronaut Bob Behnken has said he and Doug Hurley are “really comfortable” with the risks. So you’re making educated guesses, at best.”It seems there’s just more uncharted territory when it comes to space travel. “The first astronauts really started out as test pilots,” Garfinkle said. But assuming this launch goes well, “It would be great for kids to see a successful, triumphant moment of science,” Fink said.

Read more about the variety of launch viewing hot spots, known to locals and space enthusiasts alike, then click through the map embedded in the story to learn more. Due to the launch, the bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic one hour after the launch. Titusville parksLaunch spectators have staked out their spots below the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville. (WKMG)In Titusville, 15 miles across the Indian River, almost parallel to multiple launch pads are two Brevard County parks popular to locals for launch viewing. Titusvilles Parrish Park is a 36-acre park on both sides of the A. Max Brewer Causeway off State Road 402.

SpaceX and NASA will possibly try again as soon as Saturday at 3:22 p.m., if the weather cooperates. After launch, Behnken and Hurley are bound for the International Space Station where they will spend one to four months before returning to Earth. But with two days between launch attempts, whats an astronaut to do while they wait to go to space? Heres what SpaceX astronauts listened to on their way to the launch pad]Behnken shared a photo on social media of that new tradition a day before the first SpaceX launch attempt. Between launch days, Lindgren said the astronauts are getting briefings from SpaceX and NASA about the health of the Falcon 9 rocket and the weather.

The next launch windows are Saturday and Sunday for the first U.S.-based launch in nearly a decade. The planned backup dates for the mission known as Crew Dragon Demo-2 are Saturday at 3:22 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Despite the health concerns from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and bad weather, spectators had gathered in hopes of seeing the launch. As self-proclaimed space nerds, they were excited to see the SpaceX rocket go up. During their journey to the ISS, Vega said, the astronauts will have two opportunities to manually pilot Crew Dragon if schedules allow.

The next launch windows are Saturday and Sunday for the first U.S.-based launch in nearly a decade. The planned backup dates for the mission known as Crew Dragon Demo-2 are Saturday at 3:22 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Despite the health concerns from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and bad weather, spectators had gathered in hopes of seeing the launch. As self-proclaimed space nerds, they were excited to see the SpaceX rocket go up. During their journey to the ISS, Vega said, the astronauts will have two opportunities to manually pilot Crew Dragon if schedules allow.

Follow live as NASA and SpaceX target 4:33 p.m. for the launch of astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A, the first time in nearly 10 years that astronauts will launch from American soil. There will be no window for the mission known as Crew Dragon Demo-2. Because the capsule has to intercept the International Space Station some 250 miles overhead, teams must launch at 4:33 p.m. today or delay to no earlier than 3:22 p.m. Saturday. Weather remains a concern for the launch. Watch live video and join our live chat below:Related: Ready to make history on SpaceXs Crew Dragon, NASA astronauts touch down at KSC

Follow live as NASA and SpaceX target 4:33 p.m. for the launch of astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A, the first time in nearly 10 years that astronauts will launch from American soil. There will be no window for the mission known as Crew Dragon Demo-2. Because the capsule has to intercept the International Space Station some 250 miles overhead, teams must launch at 4:33 p.m. today or delay to no earlier than 3:22 p.m. Saturday. Weather remains a concern for the launch. Watch live video and join our live chat below:Related: Ready to make history on SpaceXs Crew Dragon, NASA astronauts touch down at KSC

Follow live as NASA and SpaceX target 4:33 p.m. for the launch of astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A, the first time in nearly 10 years that astronauts will launch from American soil. There will be no window for the mission known as Crew Dragon Demo-2. Because the capsule has to intercept the International Space Station some 250 miles overhead, teams must launch at 4:33 p.m. today or delay to no earlier than 3:22 p.m. Saturday. Weather remains a concern for the launch. Watch live video and join our live chat below:Related: Ready to make history on SpaceXs Crew Dragon, NASA astronauts touch down at KSC

The next launch windows are Saturday and Sunday for the first U.S.-based launch in nearly a decade. The planned backup dates for the mission known as Crew Dragon Demo-2 are Saturday at 3:22 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Despite the health concerns from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and bad weather, spectators had gathered in hopes of seeing the launch. As self-proclaimed space nerds, they were excited to see the SpaceX rocket go up. During their journey to the ISS, Vega said, the astronauts will have two opportunities to manually pilot Crew Dragon if schedules allow.

NASA astronaut Doug Hurley (left) and Bob Behnken walk out of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building during a dress rehearsal for the SpaceX Demo-2 launch. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are about to strap into SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, making them the first people that Elon Musk's company will attempt to carry into space on Wednesday. The mission, called Demo-2, represents the first launch of NASA astronauts from the U.S. since the space shuttle program ended nine years ago. Doug HurleyNASA astronaut Doug Hurley puts on his SpaceX spacesuit during a rehearsal for the Demo-2 launch. NASANASA astronaut Doug Hurley buckles in to his seat in the Tesla Model X that will carry astronauts to SpaceX's launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Elon Musks SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule will make that historic achievement. With SpaceX, NASA will be paying about $55 million a seat to fly NASA astronauts, according to a NASA Office of Inspector General report. Countdown Dress Rehearsal CompleteToday, @NASA astronauts @Astro_Doug and @AstroBehnken participated in a dress rehearsal of the launch day events. The last president to attend an astronauts launch from Florida was President Bill Clinton. NASA also recently selected SpaceXs Starship, along with several other commercial companies, to fly NASA astronauts to the moon under the Artemis program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. With just hours left until NASA attempts to launch its first crewed mission into space in nine years, heres a look at what launch day will look like for astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. This is when NASA says the astronauts will wake up, eat a hearty breakfast and go through their final medical checks before launch. 1:00 p.m.Behnken and Hurley begin suiting up and preparing to head to the launch pad. The astronauts depart to Launch Pad 39A, once the home of the Space Shuttle program, and board the Crew Dragon space capsule, which sits atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. 4:33 p.m.Instantaneous launch attempt for the Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. After a nearly nine-year remission, its launch day for NASA astronauts from Kennedy Space Center again as SpaceX prepares to become the first private company to send humans into orbit and onto the International Space Station. Elon Musks private company SpaceX is set to launch two NASA astronauts onboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a mission known as Demo-2. After liftoff, Crew Dragon will take 19 hours to fly to the International Space Station. Veteran NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are the lone passengers onboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. As part of NASAs commercial crew program, the U.S. space agency selected SpaceX and Boeing to develop spacecraft to fly NASA astronauts.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. A SpaceX rocket is ready to boost two NASA astronauts into orbit Wednesday, the first launch of Americans from the U.S. in nearly a decade. Riding aboard the brand new SpaceX Dragon capsule for the historic flight: veteran NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken. SpaceX is controlling the vehicle, theres no fluff about that, said Norm Knight, a NASA flight operations manager. The last time astronauts launched from Florida was on NASAs final space shuttle flight in July 2011. Development of SpaceXs Dragon and Boeings Starliner capsules took longer than expected, however, and the U.S. has been paying Russia to launch NASA astronauts in the interim.

The two astronauts are set to travel on the SpaceX test flight to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)TITUSVILLE, Fla. For the spectators gathered along the Space Coast on Wednesday for an astronaut launch, the rumbling thunder and darkening clouds were more worrisome than any pandemic. They turned out to watch the first launch with astronauts from Florida in almost a decade, and the first by a private company, SpaceX. About half of the spectators at the Titusville park wore masks as encouraged by health officials to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. I wanted them to see the flip side and get to see the next era of space travel," said Gatz, who lives about an hour away in Deltona.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. The clouds and rain around Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A are still present Tuesday, one day before Elon Musks company is set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, but launch conditions have improved slightly, according to Space Force weather officials. In a launch briefing with NASA and SpaceX Monday, Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer with the 45th Weather Squadron, said the weather would improve by launch day. The primary concerns are flying a rocket through rain and thick cloud cover, however, thats just the weather for launch. The launch pad is the same one Saturn V and Apollo 11 launched to the moon from more than 50 years ago. If the launch goes Wednesday, it will take 19 hours for Hurley and Behnken to reach the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL It's back to the future as NASA astronauts launch again from the U.S. aboard a retro-style "Right Stuff" capsule. SpaceX's Dragon crew capsule outshines NASA's old Apollo spacecraft in virtually every way. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the crew capsule atop will soar from the same pad used for both of those earlier missions. Russia's workhorse Soyuz capsules, still in use after a half-century plus, have kept NASA astronauts flying to the space station. SpaceX based its crew capsule on its long-running reusable cargo capsule, also named Dragon and ending space station missions with old-fashioned splashdowns.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. At T-0, two astronauts experienced with manually flying a spaceship will begin an autopilot journey to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are both Space Shuttle veterans. When the astronauts are onboard the space station, they're expected to join other astronauts there for a maximum of four months, contributing to science experiments. Demo-2 is planned ahead of another piloted Crew Dragon mission later this year. SpaceX will call that mission Crew-1 and it would have four astronauts on board.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Ahead of SpaceXs Demo-2 launch with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, launch fans can see live views of the Falcon 9 rocket at Kennedy Space Center leading up to the historic countdown. [CHOOSE THE VIEW: ClickOrlando.com Watch Party Page]On News 6 and ClickOrlando.coms watch party page youll have a one-of-a-kind viewing experience of the historic NASA and SpaceX launch, which will send astronauts back into space from U.S. soil for the first time since 2011. [WATCH LIVE: News 6]SpaceX is set to launch the Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A at 4:33 p.m. Wednesday. The ClickOrlando.com watch party page has several unique views of the rocket on the pad and will also include the News 6 virtual watch party in the hours leading up to the launch. Subscribe to a weekly newsletter to receive the latest in space news directly to your inbox here.

The 45th Weather Squadron issued the first forecast five days out giving a 40% chance of good launch conditions for the window. However, the forecast does not include recovery conditions if an abort is triggered and the Crew Dragon needs to be recovered at sea. [RETURN TO SPACE: Americas first astronaut launch in 9 years: How did we get here? | Chance of weather scrub on Crew Dragon astronaut launch day very high, SpaceX officials say]Kegges weighed in on what recovery conditions are looking like five days ahead of the launch. The launch will not go if weather violates the limits at splashdown in case of Dragon launch escape downrange, according to the criteria for launch NASA released earlier this week.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. President Donald Trump will visit the Space Coast next week to witness the historic launch of NASA astronauts from Kennedy Space Center, according to White House officials. Behnken and Hurley will blast off from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A -- the same historic pad used by Apollo astronauts who launched to the moon -- in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. Our destiny, beyond the Earth, is not only a matter of national identity but a matter of national security," Trump said. The astronauts are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station at 4:33 p.m. next Wednesday. On Friday, the SpaceX rocket passed its final review before the big day, completing a flight readiness review and a static test fire of the Falcon 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. NASA has cleared SpaceX to launch two astronauts on the Crew Dragon spacecraft after completing a final extensive review before the May 27 launch. SpaceX and NASA teams conducted a flight-readiness review clearing the way for the first launch of NASA astronauts for SpaceX and the first from U.S. soil since 2011. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will be the first passengers on a new spacecraft, returning human spaceflight to Floridas Coast. As part of the Commercial Crew Program Both SpaceX, with Crew Dragon and Boeing, with Starliner, have been conducting tests to work toward certifying their spacecraft to fly NASA astronauts. Human spaceflight is really, really tough and its why we continue to look for risks.

We are encouraging motorists to download the WAZE app, the Titusville Police Department said in a news release. The agency released updated traffic routes for the day of the launch. All vehicles on State Road 406 and on the A. Max Brewer Bridge and surrounding areas will go west on SR 406. Eastbound traffic on State Road 528 wont be able to turn around at George King Boulevard and will be directed south on State Road A1A and State Road 520 west. Parking updates will be available on Waze county wide.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is the conductor and NASA the customer as businesses begin chauffeuring astronauts to the International Space Station. The drama unfolds from the exact spot where men flew to the moon and the last space shuttle soared from Kennedy Space Center. NASAs newest test pilots, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, are launching from home turf with SpaceX presiding over the countdown. Plagued with software problems, Boeings Starliner capsule is still a year from launching with Ferguson and two NASA astronauts. In terms of launch power, the relatively small Falcon 9 has far less than the space shuttle did, another layer of safety.

pic.twitter.com/1EoolI3XNH Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) May 20, 2020Hurley was one of the last NASA astronauts to make that same trip in 2011 for the last space shuttle launch. He described Kennedy Space Center as home away from home because both astronauts spent a lot of time there during the space shuttle program. At that time, KSC Director Bob Cabana, a former astronaut, was head of the NASA astronaut office. This is also similar to the space shuttle program but, again, will look very different. Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates as American astronauts launch from Floridas Space Coast once again.

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken familiarize themselves with SpaceXs Crew Dragon, the spacecraft that will transport them to the International Space Station as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program. The coronavirus pandemic threw a pretty big curveball at the planners of SpaceX's first crewed mission. Related: How SpaceX's Crew Dragon space capsule works (infographic)Demo-2 will also be the first orbital crewed flight of a new American spacecraft since 1981, when the space shuttle debuted. But the emergence and spread of the novel coronavirus has added another layer of complexity, for both NASA and SpaceX. Related: SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-1 test flight in picturesSpaceX has been similarly conscientious, said Gwynne Shotwell, the company's president and chief operating officer.

SpaceX remains on track to launch astronauts next month despite a few remaining issues, members of a NASA advisory panel said Thursday (April 23). And that target seems reasonable, according to members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP). But Boeing has considerable work to do before Starliner is ready to fly astronauts, ASAP team members said Thursday. The panel was created in the wake of the 1967 Apollo 1 fire , which killed NASA astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. However, scheduling issues and challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic prevented panel members from talking to everyone they wanted to ahead of Thursday's event, Sanders said.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley rehearse their Demo-2 test flight on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceflight ahead of a May 27, 2020 launch to the International Space Station. The first flight of NASA astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly nine years finally has a launch date: May 27. The mission will launch astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in a final test flight for NASA. SpaceX launched its first uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station in March 2019. Boeing plans to fly a second uncrewed test flight for NASA before launching astronauts.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are scheduled to launch toward the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule in mid- to late May. The test will help the teams prepare for Demo-2, SpaceXs first crewed flight, which is scheduled to launch in mid- to late May. Boeing also holds a NASA Commercial Crew contract, a $4.2 billion deal that the aerospace giant will fulfill using its CST-100 Starliner capsule. The capsule will first refly an uncrewed test mission to the ISS , after failing in an attempt to reach the orbiting lab in December 2019. (SpaceX aced its uncrewed ISS test mission, called Demo-1, in March 2019.)

But the Crew Dragon capsule with no one on board for this test should be a safe distance away by then. SpaceX flew its own unpiloted Crew Dragon test flight last March, docking with the station and safely returning to Earth. At that point, the in-flight abort test was planned for last spring with the first piloted mission expected in the summer-to-fall timeframe. The system was successfully tested last November, clearing the way for the in-flight abort test. The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule were erected atop historic pad 39A Thursday in preparation for an in-flight abort test.