This artist’s illustration imagines the view from the surface of one of the planets in the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. Astronomers think that some of the planets in this system may have a substantial ocean of water, a necessary ingredient for life.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

One of the most stunning astronomical discoveries of the last decade was an entire system of exoplanets, relatively close to Earth, that have the potential to host life. During a Dec. 13, 2022 conference, astronomers reported preliminary findings about the system gathered by the powerful new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).  

This artist’s illustration shows what the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like. The planetary system has seven planets that rapidly orbit close to the parent star. Three of the planets orbit within the habitable zone of the star where liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

TRAPPIST-1 is a red dwarf star about 40 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquarius. One light-year equals the distance light travels in a vacuum in a year, about 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers). TRAPPIST-1 is notable for having seven orbiting planets. Astronomers classify the planets as terrestrial, meaning they have Earthlike qualities. All of them orbit the star within or near a region that astronomers call the habitable zone. That is, in that region in which liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface. Scientists consider liquid water to be an essential ingredient for life. 

The first three planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system were discovered in 2015. These were discovered by astronomers using the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST) robotic telescope pair, located at La Silla Observatory in Chile and Oukaïmeden Observatory in Morocco. Scientists using the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope in Chile announced in 2017 that they had confirmed the discovery of those three planets and had discovered four more planets. 

The potential of these planets to host conditions favorable for life made the TRAPPIST-1 system a major target for the JWST. This advanced satellite observatory was launched in December of 2021 and began conducting scientific observations in mid-2022. Earlier that year, JWST characterized the atmosphere of the giant exoplanet WASP-96b as a proof-of-concept, setting the stage for TRAPPIST-1 observations.  

The preliminary results from two of the TRAPPIST-1 planets confirm that they do not have hydrogen atmospheres. They may have no atmospheres, or they may have atmospheres composed of other gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. Such atmospheres could make these planets hospitable for life. 

Because these exoplanets are so small, even the powerful JWST needs to view the system for extended periods to gather accurate data. But the system’s diminutive proportions will speed up the observation process. JWST detects minute changes to the star’s light as each planet passes in front of it. The seven planets whirl around TRAPPIST-1 with orbital periods of 1.5 to 18.8 Earth days. In contrast, Earth’s orbital period (also called a year) is about 365 days, and Mercury’s is 88 Earth days. (Because TRAPPIST-1 is a small, cool star, these tight orbits still lie within or near its habitable zone.) Astronomers are confident that they will have a good “family portrait” of the TRAPPIST-1 within a year.  

JWST has already racked up impressive observations after just a half-year of activity. With its study of TRAPPIST-1, it will help bring astronomers closer to answering one of the most fundamental questions in science: are we living things on Earth alone in the universe, or not? 

The Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 14, 2022.
Credit: KSC/NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is one step closer to getting astronauts back on the moon after the Artemis-1 mission launch today, November 16th, 2022. Artemis-1 is the first mission in the three-ply plan to establish a better understanding of the moon en route to landing on Mars. The un-crewed Orion spacecraft will be launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on the Space Launch System rocket, NASA’s newest and most powerful rocket. The mission has been delayed due to Hurricane Ian and tropical storm Nicole.

The program is named after Artemis, the goddess of hunting and the moon in Greek mythology. Artemis was the twin of Apollo, the god of light. The Apollo program was NASA’s first mission to land on the moon. The Orion spacecraft is named after Orion, a handsome and energetic hunter in Greek mythology. He was a giant who could walk through the sea and on its surface. In one myth, Artemis set Orion in the sky as a constellation after his death. Orion the Hunter, is a brilliant constellation that includes two of the brightest stars in the sky.

The mission is set to send Orion beyond the moon, launching it into orbit around the moon, before returning to Earth. Orion will travel 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers) over the course of 42 days while orbiting the moon. Orion’s return to Earth will be the fastest and hottest planned spacecraft return in history. It is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, on Oct. 10. The Orion spacecraft is planned to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and, eventually, to the moon and Mars. The craft is designed to sustain astronauts during a long mission into deep space and return them safely to Earth.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft roll out to the Launch Complex on Aug. 16, 2022, ahead of the scheduled launch of the Artemis 1 mission on Aug. 29, 2022.

Although on this trip, Orion is heading into space without passengers. the Orion spacecraft has many advanced features to support an astronaut crew on an extended mission into space. These features include unique systems for propulsion and flight control. Astronauts will be carried in Orion’s Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). The CEV is equipped with advanced heat shields to withstand the temperatures generated by the high velocities required to launch the craft into deep space and to reenter Earth’s atmosphere upon return. Orion cannot make it to space on its own, it requires a push from a heavy-lift rocket. That is where the Space Launch System (SLS) helps out. The SLS uses solid-fuel rocket boosters to carry heavy loads into space. The SLS is the most powerful rocket ever built for launching a space exploration vehicle. 

The first successful unpiloted test flight of the Orion spacecraft took place in 2014. The Orion CEV was launched on an older model Delta IV heavy rocket and orbited Earth twice before it splashed down and was recovered in the Pacific Ocean. A second test flight, in 2018, also used the Delta IV heavy rocket because of delays in the development of the SLS. Future unpiloted test flights are planned to test various components of the Orion spacecraft. Orion missions with astronauts are expected to take place later, in the 2020’s. The last manned mission to the moon was in 1972 when the Apollo 17 mission completed the longest lunar landing.

Nicole Aunapu Mann became the first Indigenous American woman in space in October 2022 aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Nicole Aunapu Mann is an American astronaut and Marine Corps test pilot. Today, October 5, 2022, Mann became the first Indigenous (native) American woman in space. Mann and three other astronauts launched on National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). While aboard the ISS, Mann will serve as a flight engineer. Mann is a member of the Wailacki people of the Round Valley Indian Tribes. The Round Valley Indian Tribes is a confederation of tribes designated to the Round Valley Indian Reservation in Mendocino County, California.

In 2013, the NASA chose Mann to be an astronaut. Mann completed astronaut training in July 2015. She led the development of the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) launch facility, the Orion crewed spacecraft, and Space Launch System (SLS), built to carry the Orion craft into space. NASA selected Mann to serve as mission commander on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission on the Crew Dragon capsule en route to the International Space Station. SpaceX is a private company that owns and operates the rocket and spacecraft used in the mission. A Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to launch the mission’s Crew Dragon capsule.

Mann joined the United States Marine Corps in 1999 as a second lieutenant. She reported to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, for flight training in 2001. Mann became a Navy pilot in 2003 and began her operational flying career in 2004.  Mann deployed twice to Afghanistan and Iraq, completing 47 combat missions. After her deployments, she completed Navy Test Pilot School and served as a test pilot for many types of naval aircraft.

Nicole Victoria Aunapu was born in Petaluma, California, on June 27, 1977. She enrolled in the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1995. Mann earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1999. She completed a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from California’s Stanford University in 2001. In 2009, she married Navy pilot Travis Mann.

This illustration shows an imagined view of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft approaching the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos. The smaller spacecraft is LICIACube, built by the Italian Space Agency.
Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins, APL/Steve Gribben

Scientists and engineers have designed spacecraft for many different purposes. Some bring people safely to the moon or the International Space Station. Others roam far into space to send pictures back to Earth for scientists to study. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) built the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) as a punching bag! DART was a spacecraft that intentionally collided with an asteroid.

Scientists planned the mission to find out whether a spacecraft collision could change an asteroid’s path through space. DART’s target asteroid was not a threat to Earth. But in the future, this method could be used to redirect a threatening asteroid away from Earth. Scientists are studying the effects of the DART impact to determine how the collision affected the asteroid’s path.

DART was a type of spacecraft called an impactor. An impactor smashes into the target it is studying, such as a planet, moon, or asteroid. Usually, scientists study the effects of the impact to learn about the physical characteristics of the target. Because DART was designed to move its target, it is considered a kinetic impactor.

DART traveled to Didymos, an asteroid that is about ½ mile (780 meters) wide. Didymos has a moonlet—a second, tiny asteroid in orbit around it—called Dimorphos. Dimorphos is sometimes nicknamed “Didymoon.” Dimorphos is 525 feet (160 meters) wide. Pairs of asteroids such as this one are known as binary systems. Scientists think about 15 percent of the asteroids closest to Earth are part of a binary system. Didymos and Dimorphos were chosen for the DART mission because their position is practical for a spacecraft to reach and because changes to Dimorphos’s orbit can be measured from Earth.

On Sep. 26, 2022, DART smashed into Dimorphos at a speed of 4.1 miles (6.6 kilometers) per second. Telescopes on Earth observed a bright flash at the moment of impact. Before the impact, Dimorphos orbited Didymos once every 11 hours and 55 minutes. The impact was expected to shorten this period and to move Dimorphos slightly closer to Didymos.

DART carried only one instrument, a camera. The camera helped it to steer automatically toward its target. DART also carried a shoebox-sized spacecraft called LICIACube. DART released LICIACube before it impacts Dimorphos. LICIACube photographed the impact test and its aftermath.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched DART on Nov. 24, 2021. The mission was sponsored by NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) built LICIACube. It is Italy’s first deep space probe.

James Webb Space Telescope image of NGC 3324
Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope have arrived! They are starry, stellar, and dazzling images of never before seen nebulae and star-forming regions of the universe. The images are quite the upgrade from the images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, showing deep space in exquisite detail. U.S. President Joe Biden released the first images on Monday, June 11, 2022.

The James Webb Space Telescope was successfully launched into space atop an Ariane 5 rocket on Dec. 25, 2021. The James Webb Space Telescope, abbreviated JWST, is an observatory replacing some capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope is a powerful orbiting telescope that provides sharp images of heavenly bodies. Webb’s main mirror is 6.5 meters (21 feet) across. Webb will have about seven times larger light-collecting area than Hubble. However, Webb is designed to study infrared light, a type of light wave with longer wavelengths than those of visible light. Thus, Webb will not replace Hubble’s visible light capabilities.

Webb is a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The Space Telescope Science Institute, which currently operates Hubble, is managing Webb’s science operations. The telescope is named after James Webb, the former NASA administrator who conceived and directed the Apollo program for most of the 1960’s. Webb has been a work in progress since 1996 and its deployment was delayed many times over the years.

The Webb telescope will enable scientists to study the history of the universe, nearly all the way back to a cosmic explosion called the big bang. It will collect information on the first stars and galaxies that formed after the big bang, the formation of planetary systems, and the evolution of planets within the solar system.

Southern Ring Nebula
Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

The first images NASA released show a star-forming region in the Milky Way called the Carina Nebula captured in infrared light. A nebula is a cloud of dust particles and gases in space. The term nebula comes from the Latin word for cloud. Other images show the Southern Ring Nebula in near-infrared light and mid-infrared light. This image shows the remains of a white dwarf star, similar to our Sun.

Webb is equipped with several specialized cameras and spectrometers, instruments that spread out light into a band of wavelengths called a spectrum. Astronomers can study such a spectrum for signs of light given off by certain molecules or atoms. Webb also has a primary (main) mirror made of many segments, which was folded up to fit in the launch rocket. The mirror is to unfold and adjust to its proper shape before Webb reaches its permanent orbit. A large sun shield, about the size of a tennis court, will help prevent the infrared light from the sun, and the reflected sunlight from Earth and the moon, from interfering with observations. Webb is specifically designed to cool down its sensors to gather better data.

After launch, Webb traveled to a Lagrange point, a special point in space where the gravitational pulls of the sun and Earth are in balance. Webb is to remain there, 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth, observing the skies for up to 10 years. During its primary mission, Webb is designed to be the world’s premier space observatory, used by thousands of astronomers worldwide.

The first image of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Credit: © EHT Collaboration

Finally, the faceless monster lurking at the center of our galaxy has been photographed. Sounds like science fiction? It’s true! On Thursday, May 12, scientists with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team published a photograph of Sagittarius A* (saj uh TAIR eeuhs AY star). Sagittarius A* is a supermassive (huge) black hole in the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

A black hole is a region of space whose gravitational force is so strong that nothing can escape from it, not even light. The event horizon is the “point of no return” for a black hole: Anything that crosses this horizon is sucked into the black hole forever. Supermassive black holes at least a million times more massive than the sun lurk at the center of many galaxies.

The EHT is a global network of ground-based telescopes that use a technique called radio interferometry to produce images of black hole event horizons. The collection of radio telescopes participating in the EHT project stretches from Hawaii to Europe and all the way south to Antarctica. Several dozen of the world’s leading observatories and universities contribute to the project. Supercomputers process the image data using special algorithms in a process called correlation.

Astronomers began using the EHT to make observations of Sagittarius A* in 2017. In 2019, the EHT released an image it had captured of the event horizon surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of the Messier 87 galaxy (M87*). It was the first time an event horizon had been photographed.

If light can’t escape a black hole, how did EHT photograph M87* or Sagittarius A*? Technically, it didn’t: all black holes are invisible and cannot be directly photographed. But matter trapped in orbit near the event horizon is extremely energized and emits large amounts of light. The black hole lurks in the circular “shadow” within the halo of high-energy matter. Thus, the EHT can take a picture of a black hole much as we can take a picture of a doughnut hole.

Despite being closer to Earth, Sagittarius A* was still harder to image than M87*. Sagittarius A* is still 27,000 light-years from Earth. It’s also more than 1,000 times smaller and less massive than M87*. So, although the high-energy matter is orbiting both black holes at about the same speed, the matter completes an orbit around Sagittarius A* in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, Sagittarius A* is “quieter”: it emits far less energy than M87*. All these factors made it difficult for EHT to capture an image of it.

Now that EHT has imaged two black holes, astronomers can compare them. Both look remarkably similar, despite their differing sizes. Both confirm what was predicted by Einstein’s theory of relativity. But plenty of questions remain. For example, are the “blobs” in the picture actual elements, or are they artifact of the correlating process? The EHT is also considering the feasibility of creating a short video of Sagittarius A* by stringing together multiple consecutive images. And plenty more supermassive black holes are waiting for their photographic debut. A major observation campaign that concluded earlier this year featured even more telescopes. Expect more exciting results soon regarding these most extreme objects in the universe.

An artist’s conception shows the James Webb Space Telescope.
Credit: NASA

The James Webb Space Telescope was successfully launched into space atop an Ariane 5 rocket on Dec. 25, 2021. The James Webb Space Telescope, abbreviated JWST, is an observatory that will replace some capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope is a powerful orbiting telescope that provides sharp images of heavenly bodies. Webb’s main mirror is 6.5 meters (21 feet) across. Webb will have about seven times larger light-collecting area than Hubble. However, Webb is designed to study infrared light, a type of light wave with longer wavelengths than those of visible light. Thus, Webb will not replace Hubble’s visible light capabilities.

The Ariane 5 rocket is used chiefly to launch commercial satellites. The rocket was developed by the European Space Agency and a European company known as Arianespace.
European Space Agency

Webb is a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The Space Telescope Science Institute, which currently operates Hubble, is to manage Webb’s science operations, which are expected to begin in summer 2022. The telescope is named after James Webb, the former NASA administrator who conceived and directed the Apollo program for most of the 1960’s. Webb has been a work in progress since 1996 and its deployment was delayed many times over the years.

The Webb telescope will enable scientists to study the history of the universe, nearly all the way back to a cosmic explosion called the big bang. It will collect information on the first stars and galaxies that formed after the big bang, the formation of planetary systems, and the evolution of planets within the solar system.

Webb is equipped with several specialized cameras and spectrometers, instruments that spread out light into a band of wavelengths called a spectrum. Astronomers can study such a spectrum for signs of light given off by certain molecules or atoms. Webb also has a primary (main) mirror made of many segments, which was folded up to fit in the launch rocket. The mirror is to unfold and adjust to its proper shape before Webb reaches its permanent orbit. A large sun shield, about the size of a tennis court, will help prevent the infrared light from the sun, and the reflected sunlight from Earth and the moon, from interfering with observations. Webb is specifically designed to cool down its sensors to gather better data.

After launch, Webb is to travel to a Lagrange point, a special point in space where the gravitational pulls of the sun and Earth are in balance. Webb is to remain there, 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth, observing the skies for up to 10 years. During its primary mission, Webb is designed to be the world’s premier space observatory, used by thousands of astronomers worldwide.

The Parker Solar Probe approaches the sun in this artist’s depiction. The probe’s path takes it nearer to the sun than any other human-made object, allowing it to make close-up observations of solar activity.
NASA

The Parker Solar Probe has done the unthinkable. It became the first spacecraft to touch the sun! Scientists reported the announcement on Dec. 14, 2021, at the press conference at the 2021 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. The probe was built and operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. The probe flew through the upper atmosphere of the sun, called the corona, to collect samples. The samples will allow scientists to understand more about the sun, just like landing on the moon paved the way for scientists to learn about the moon.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Parker Solar Probe in 2018. The probe completed its first orbit of the sun in 2019. The probe is the fastest human-made object in the solar system. The sun’s gravity is expected to accelerate the probe to extreme speeds of up to 430,000 miles (700,000 kilometers) per hour. Three years after the launch, the probe has arrived at the sun.

The goals of the mission are 1) to study how energy and heat flow through the corona; 2) to gather information on plasma (the gaslike substance the sun is composed of) and magnetic fields near the sun; and 3) to learn more about how high-energy particles travel outward from the sun.

It uses a set of instruments known as FIELDS, which has antennas to measure electric fields and magnetometers to measure magnetic fields. The probe is also equipped with a pair of cameras to capture images of the sun. The probe carries various instruments for studying particles in the solar wind—that is, the continuous flow of particles from the sun.

The sun’s corona can be as hot as 4,000,000 °F (2,200,000 °C). Because of the corona’s low density (concentration of matter), the Parker Solar Probe will not experience the sun’s most intense heat. However, it will encounter temperatures of up to 2,500 °F (1,377 °C)—hotter than lava from a volcano.

The Parker probe is planned to approach the sun 24 times by the mission’s end. Hopefully, the Parker probe can stand the heat and gather more information about the corona and solar winds.

An image of Venus, made with data recorded by Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft in 2016, shows swirling clouds in the planet’s atmosphere.
Credit: PLANET-C Project Team/JAXA

Venus is heating up—figuratively, that is. It has always been the hottest planet in the solar system, with surface temperatures of about 870 °F (465 °C). But new findings from the mysterious planet have been pouring in. Soon, a new generation of space probes will transform Venus from a sleepy solar system backwater to a bustling hub of scientific discovery.

Venus is the second planet from the sun. It is known as Earth’s “twin” because the two planets are so similar in size. The diameter of Venus is about 7,520 miles (12,100 kilometers). This diameter is about 400 miles (640 kilometers) smaller than that of Earth. No other planet comes nearer to Earth than does Venus. At its closest approach, it is about 23.7 million miles (38.2 million kilometers) away.

But Venus is better described as Earth’s evil twin, in respect to its withering conditions. In addition to the high temperatures, the atmospheric pressure is 90 times greater than that on Earth. Carbon dioxide makes up most of the atmosphere. The skies are strewn with clouds of sulfuric acid.

Scientists sent several probes to learn more about the planet in the 1960’s and 1970’s. But as space agencies learned of its inhospitable conditions, they concentrated their efforts elsewhere, particularly Mars. The last United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission to study Venus, called Magellan, launched in 1990. Thus, scientists know relatively little about Venus, despite its close proximity to Earth and its similar size.

Despite the dearth of missions in recent years, planetary scientists continue to scan the planet with Earth-based instruments and reanalyze older data. They have returned surprising results.

Last year, a team of scientists announced that they had discovered a gas called phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere. Many living things on Earth produce phosphine; and scientists have not been able to identify any non-biological processes on Venus that might produce it. This raised the possibility that microbial life could exist in Venus’s atmosphere, where the conditions are much milder. But the discovery has been controversial. Other teams have failed to find any phosphine signature.

Last month, a team led by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast left the floating-Venusian-microbes idea high and dry. They found that Venus’s atmosphere does not contain enough water vapor to support life, irrespective of the presence of phosphine. The team determined that even the most extreme microbes on Earth require an environment with dozens of times more water than is available in Venus’s atmosphere.

Another recent study has shed light onto possible changing of Venus’s surface. Previously, Earth was the only rocky planet known to have a moving surface. A team lead by Paul Byrne, a professor at North Carolina State University, found evidence that parts of Venus’s surface might be slowly moving today. Earth’s crust slowly reshapes itself by a process called plate tectonics. Large pieces of the surface, called plates, subduct (sink) under one another, forming mountain ranges and other features. New crust forms along the ridges where the plates pull away from each other. In contrast, Byrne’s team found that pieces of Venus’s crust move like pack ice in polar oceans. Learning more about crust movement on Venus will help scientists understand how such processes develop on other planets, including Earth and exoplanets that might harbor life.

Last month, space agencies announced that not one, but three missions will be exploring Venus in the next 15 years. On June 2, NASA announced it is sending two mission to Venus. The missions were selected as part of part of NASA’s lower-cost Discovery Program. NASA expects to launch both missions between 2028 and 2030.

VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy) will orbit the planet and map its surface with greater detail than ever before. It will allow scientists to better understand the planet’s features.

DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) consists of a sphere that will plunge through Venus’s thick atmosphere, studying the atmosphere’s composition. The DAVINCI+ mission planners are seeking evidence of an ocean of water that might have covered Venus’s surface eons ago.

There are other players in the new Venus boom. Last year, American company Rocket Lab announced plans to launch a small probe to Venus as early as 2023. And on June 10, just over a week after NASA’s selection DAVINCI+ and VERITAS, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that it would also be sending a probe Venus. The EnVision orbiter will search for signs of current and former tectonic activity and the presence of a past ocean. EnVision is scheduled to arrive at Venus in 2034 or 2035.

The desire to learn more about Venus is fed by more than just curiosity about our nearest neighbor. Astronomers are looking for signs of life on exoplanets. But Venus and Earth would look quite similar from light-years away. Learning more about Venus and how it evolved to become so different from Earth will help astronomers better weed out Venus-like exoplanets in their search for ones that are more like Earth.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket, in preparation for launch on May 27, 2020.
Credit: © SpaceX

A new era of human spaceflight began Saturday, May 30, as Space Exploration Technologies (commonly called SpaceX) launched its Crew Dragon capsule into space. (The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, when it was delayed due to bad weather.) The Dragon became the first private spacecraft ever to take astronauts into orbit. The mission, called the Demo-2 mission, transported National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station (ISS).

Astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley (right) prepare for the first crewed launch of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
Credit: © SpaceX

Millions of people watched from home as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched the Dragon from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station into space. In orbit, the crew tested the spacecraft’s control systems to make sure the capsule was performing as intended before its arrival at the ISS. The Dragon features various modern technologies in its engineering and construction. Unlike previous spacecraft, it has a touchscreen control interface that looks similar to those used in the popular science fiction television series Star Trek.

The International Space Station (ISS)
Credit: NASA

An important part of the mission was docking the Dragon to the ISS. The capsule reached the ISS on Sunday, May 31, about 24 hours after launch. Aboard the space station, Behnken and Hurley will perform research and other tasks with the rest of the ISS crew. They will remain on the ISS for one to four months before undocking the Dragon and re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule will land in the Atlantic Ocean, where the crew will be retrieved and returned to Cape Canaveral, completing the mission.

If the Demo-2 mission is successful, NASA will certify the Crew Dragon to regularly transport astronauts to the ISS. Since NASA’s space shuttle program ended in 2011, the administration has relied on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the ISS. The Soyuz can transport up to three astronauts at a time, and NASA pays about US $86 million per seat. The Dragon is able to transport up to seven astronauts at once, and the cost per crew member is expected to be around $55 million.