{"id":17709,"date":"2020-05-22T17:42:04","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T09:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasa-gives-crucial-thumbs-up-to-spacexs-historic-crewed-flight-to-space-station\/"},"modified":"2020-05-22T17:42:04","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T09:42:04","slug":"nasa-gives-crucial-thumbs-up-to-spacexs-historic-crewed-flight-to-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasa-gives-crucial-thumbs-up-to-spacexs-historic-crewed-flight-to-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA gives crucial thumbs-up to SpaceX\u2019s historic crewed flight to space station"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SpaceX conducts a static-fire test for its Falcon 9 rocket in advance of its Crew Dragon launch. (NASA Photo \/ Bill Ingalls)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NASA today signed off on the first launch to send a crew into orbit from U.S. soil in nearly nine years, and the rocket for that launch had its final test firing.<\/p>\n

After reviewing mission plans for a day and a half, mission managers cleared SpaceX to send NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station at 4:33 p.m. ET (1:33 p.m. PT) Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a very successful flight readiness review, in that we did a thorough review of all the systems and all the risks,\u201d NASA Associate Administrator Steve Jurczyk, who presided over this week\u2019s meetings, said at KSC during a post-review news briefing. \u201cIt was unanimous on the board that we are go for launch.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the briefing, SpaceX fired up the first-stage engines on its Falcon 9 rocket at Launch Complex 39A, at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to conduct its traditional static-fire system check. In the wake of the test, SpaceX reported that everything was on track for Wednesday\u2019s liftoff.<\/p>\n

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said this week\u2019s meetings weren\u2019t just a rubber stamp. \u201cThere were conversations that were had that were very important to be had, but it\u2019s also true that at the end \u2026 we got to a \u2018go.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Jurczyk cited the example of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule\u2019s parachute system, which had to be reworked and retested to satisfy NASA\u2019s safety margin requirements. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that wasn\u2019t easy. \u201cMuch harder problem than it may seem,\u201d he tweeted.<\/p>\n