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LIVE HISTORY: SpaceX and NASA Make Second Attempt to Launch Americans Back Into Space

Katie Pavlich
Katie Pavlich  |  May 30, 2020 2:45 PM

UPDATE II: After being delayed due to thunderstorms in the area earlier this week, SpaceX and NASA are getting ready for their second attempt of Launch America Saturday afternoon at 3:22pm ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida. You can tune in live below. 

Fingers crossed for good weather! 


UPDATE: Due to weather issues, the launch has been delayed until Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 pm ET. 

***Original post***

Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX and NASA will send American astronauts to space for the first time since July 2011 on Wednesday afternoon. If all goes well, U.S. Astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley will travel to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 4:33 p.m. 

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"SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, May 27 for Falcon 9’s launch of Crew Dragon’s second demonstration (Demo-2) mission from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This test flight with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board the Dragon spacecraft will return human spaceflight to the United States," SpaceX released in a statement about the launch. 

"Demo-2 is the final major test for SpaceX’s human spaceflight system to be certified by NASA for operational crew missions to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX is returning human spaceflight to the United States with one of the safest, most advanced systems ever built, and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is a turning point for America’s future in space exploration that lays the groundwork for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond," the statement continues. 

Final preparations for the mission began early Thursday morning before Behnken and Hurley said goodbye to their wives, who are also astronauts, and traveled to the launch pad.