The Demo-2 Mission: What Does It Mean?
Recently, NASA launched astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley into space in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, marking a crucial moment in space exploration history. However, you might be asking, “Why is this so important?” or, “Don’t we launch astronauts into space all the time?” While it is true that we send astronauts to the International Space Station frequently, that is not why this launch is significant. Today, we will be examining why this collaboration between SpaceX and NASA, named as the Demo-2 mission, is such a pivotal moment in the history of space exploration.
1. This is the first time humans were launched off US soil in nine years.
Since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011, NASA has been paying Russia millions of dollars to launch its astronauts on their Soyuz spacecraft. This is the first time in nine years that we have launched from the US, an event seen as a crucial point in restoring the American prestige in space exploration through US company-made spacecraft.
2. The mission justified SpaceX’s crew transportation system.
NASA and SpaceX used this mission to validate the new transportation methods they are using. They are using the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule. The Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The transportation system also includes the launch pad and operational capabilities of the spacecraft. This will also be the first time NASA astronauts will test the spacecraft systems in orbit.
3. The mission has a financial benefit as well.
Along with the technological benefit of the SpaceX program, there is a financial one as well. For the past nine years, the U.S. has relied on Russia to launch astronauts into space, which costed NASA 80 million dollars per astronaut. By using domestic partners such as SpaceX, the agency is expected to save substantial amounts of money going forward.
In consolidation, the flight also represents a path for NASA to fully staff the International Space Station, end Russia’s spaceflight monopoly, and do space-based research in support of future moon and Mars missions. The rockets can be used to deliver satellites, spacecraft, and more people into space. We might even reach Mars by 2025, according to NASA. SpaceX’s technology is integral to space exploration as a whole, and I’m really interested to see what happens next. Both astronauts of the mission are currently at the ISS, sometimes live streaming from the station on Youtube! It is interesting to see their life in space, and how it feels up there. In the end, space exploration is changing do fast, and we should do our best to keep up, because our future depends on it.
