Spaceflight

Two veteran NASA astronauts were headed for the International Space Station on May 30 after Elon Musk's SpaceX became the first commercial company to launch a rocket carrying humans into orbit, ushering in a new era in space travel.    

After nearly two decades of effort, Elon Musk's aerospace company, SpaceX, successfully launched its first two people into orbit, ushering in a new age of human spaceflight in the United States.

SpaceX pressed ahead with its second attempt to launch astronauts for NASA- a historic first for a private company- but more stormy weather threatened more delays.

Elon Musk's company came within 17 minutes on May 27 of launching a pair of NASA astronauts for the first time in nearly a decade from the U.S., before the threat of lightning forced a delay.

SpaceX and NASA will have to wait at least a few more days for their historic spaceflight.   Launch officials announced at4:17 p.m. Wednesday that rough weather would prevent a SpaceX rocket and capsule from taking off from a Florida launch pad, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley on the first crewed spaceflight to take off from US soil in nearly a decade.

The launch of a SpaceX rocket ship with two NASA astronauts on a history-making flight into orbit was called off with less than 17 minutes to go in the countdown on May 27 because of thunderclouds and the risk of lightning.
Liftoff was rescheduled for Saturday afternoon.

In Tanegashima, Japan, a spacecraft named Hope is being prepared for its launch towards Mars.

A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will fly on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket at 4:33 p.m.

In the beginning, everyone was skeptical. But Elon Musk's SpaceX defied expectations- and on May 27 hopes to make history by ferrying two NASA astronauts into space, the first crewed flight from U.S. soil in nine long years.

NASA gave the green light on May 22 to next week's launch of two astronauts aboard a SpaceX vessel- the first crewed space flight from U.S. soil in nine years and a crucial step towards ending American dependence on Russian rockets.

The US Air Force has successfully launched its Atlas V rocket, carrying a X-37B space plane for a secretive mission.

The rocket launched on Sunday from Cape Canaveral, a day after bad weather halted plans for a Saturday launch.

The aircraft, also known as an Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), will deploy a satellite into orbit and also test power-beaming technology.