This combination of undated photos made available by SpaceX shows astronauts Bob Behnken, left, and Doug Hurley at SpaceX Headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. (SpaceX via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe cosmic-size shift to private companies allows NASA to zero in on deep space travel. The space agency is busting to return astronauts to the moon by 2024 under orders from the White House, a deadline looking increasingly unlikely even as three newly chosen commercial teams rush to develop lunar landers. Mars also beckons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re building momentum toward a much more exciting future,\u201d said John Logsdon, founder of George Washington University\u2019s Space Policy Institute and a professor emeritus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Russian launch site in Kazakhstan is out of the way and out of sight. Launching crews again from Florida is sure to fire up the public, Logsdon noted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adding to the appeal is the flash generated by Musk, SpaceX\u2019s chief executive, designer and founder who shot his red Tesla Roadster into outer space two years ago during the first flight of a supersized Falcon Heavy rocket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a touch of Musk showmanship \u2014 he also runs the electric car company \u2014 Hurley and Behnken will ride to the launch pad in a gull-winged Tesla Model X, white with black trim just like the astronauts\u2019 spacesuits and the rocket itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dragon riders appreciate Musk\u2019s hands-on approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn more than one occasion he has looked both Bob and I right in the eye and said, \u2018Hey, if there\u2019s anything you guys are not comfortable with or that you\u2019re seeing, please tell me and we\u2019ll fix it.\u2019\u201d Hurley said. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIn this April 10, 2020, photo made available by SpaceX, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft undergoes final processing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.(SpaceX via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhile trumpeting the return of astronaut launches, NASA is urging spectators to stay away because of the pandemic. But beaches near Kennedy are now open, and the local sheriff is welcoming visitors even though inside the space center, the number of guests will be severely limited. Among the exceptions: both astronaut wives \u2014 who have flown in space themselves \u2014 and their young sons. Vice President Mike Pence, chairman of the National Space Council, is also going, and President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday that he\u2019s thinking of attending, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liftoff is set for 4:33 p.m. EDT Wednesday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a great inspiration to the country next week to see you two go aloft from the Kennedy Space Center,\u201d Pence told the astronauts Tuesday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will be just the fifth time NASA astronauts strap into a spanking new U.S. space system for liftoff \u2014 following Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and shuttle. NASA owned and operated all those spacecraft, built by contractors to NASA\u2019s precise specifications. The commercial crew program, by contrast, calls for private businesses to handle and own it all, with input and oversight by NASA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only three countries have launched humans \u2014 Russia, the U.S. and China in that order \u2014 making SpaceX\u2019s attempt all the more impressive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy heart is sitting right here,\u201d SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said, pointing to her throat at a news conference earlier this month, \u201cand I think it\u2019s going to stay there until we get Bob and Doug safely back from the International Space Station.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nIn this March 19, 2020, photo, astronauts Doug Hurley, foreground, and Bob Behnken work in SpaceX’s flight simulator at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (SpaceX via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHurley, 53, a retired Marine, and Behnken, 49, an Air Force colonel, will spend one to four months aboard the orbiting lab, currently down to a three-man, half-size crew. They\u2019ll lend a hand with experiments and possibly spacewalks, before ending their mission with an Atlantic splashdown, a scene not seen for a half-century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As liftoff looms, the two are hesitant to consider their place in space history. \u201cIt seems premature until we\u2019ve pulled it off,\u201d Behnken said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said the U.S. needs its own access to the space station in order to take full advantage of the $100 billion lab \u2014 the sooner, the better, pandemic or no. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When shuttle Atlantis soared for the final time on July 8, 2011, with Hurley as the pilot under commander Chris Ferguson, NASA envisioned a gap of three to five years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ferguson now works for Boeing, the other company hired by NASA in 2014 to transport crews. Plagued with software problems, Boeing\u2019s Starliner capsule is still a year from launching with Ferguson and two NASA astronauts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While disappointed Boeing is trailing, Ferguson said he\u2019ll cheer Hurley and Behnken from the sidelines. The SpaceX duo will lay claim to a small U.S. flag that flew on NASA\u2019s first and last shuttle flights, and was left on the station by Ferguson and Hurley for the first commercial crew to arrive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRegardless of who might get there first, it\u2019s a win for America,\u201d Ferguson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is rolled out of the horizontal integration facility at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Demo-2 mission, Thursday, May 21, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Bill Ingalls\/NASA via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nNASA\u2019s commercial crew effort builds on industry\u2019s space station shipments, now in the eighth year. SpaceX led the field with its original Dragon cargo capsules. Musk\u2019s California-based company was also first out the gate with its souped-up, tricked-out Dragon crew capsule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crew Dragon made its debut early last year, launching successfully to the space station with a test dummy named Ripley after the \u201cAlien\u201d films\u2019 hardcore heroine. But the next month, the capsule exploded on the engine test stand at Cape Canaveral, a monumental setback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boeing\u2019s Starliner capsule made its premiere last December with Rosie the mannequin, but ended up in the wrong orbit. Boeing will repeat the demo this fall, on its own dime, before putting Ferguson and the others on board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wayne Hale, a retired space shuttle flight director and program manager who serves on the NASA Advisory Council, views SpaceX\u2019s upcoming astronaut flight as an experiment with lessons carrying over to Artemis, NASA\u2019s new-generation, moon-landing effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hale and others contend SpaceX and Boeing could be flying astronauts by now if Congress had provided more funding early on. The contracts with NASA are worth billions. NASA\u2019s inspector general has estimated the per-seat cost for SpaceX at $55 million, while the price of a Russian Soyuz seat has averaged $80 million in recent years. Boeing\u2019s Starliner will top that: an estimated $90 million a pop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An earlier NASA test pilot, Robert Crippen, wishes at least one space shuttle had kept flying until a replacement was ready. The longest previous hiatus between astronaut launches stretched six years \u2014 from Apollo-Soyuz in 1975 to the shuttle\u2019s debut in 1981 with Crippen and John Young. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crippen also wishes the shuttle\u2019s replacement was more futuristic-looking and landed on a runway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The capsule has the familiar cone shape, but inside touchscreens replace the customary, countless switches. The walls are gleaming white, not dull gray. There\u2019s even a curtained-off toilet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It has built-in escape engines designed to fling the capsule off the rocket in an emergency, from the time Hurley and Behnken strap in until they reach orbit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis crew will have a good escape system,\u201d Crippen said. \u201cJohn and I had our ejection seats, but they wouldn\u2019t have done much for us on liftoff,\u201d sending them straight through the rockets\u2019 trail of fire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A capsule is generally simpler and thus safer than a winged spacecraft like the shuttle, Hurley and Behnken noted. In terms of launch power, the relatively small Falcon 9 has far less than the space shuttle did, another layer of safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it\u2019s still just the second flight of the crew capsule, and \u201cthe statistics will tell you that\u2019s riskier than the 15th flight or 20th flight of the vehicle,\u201d said Hurley, a former fighter pilot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the suggestion of its technicians, SpaceX added photos of Hurley and Behnken to every work order as a constant reminder that lives \u2014 not just freight \u2014 are at stake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I need to remind my employees how important this is,\u201d Shotwell, the company president, said. \u201cThey remind themselves.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute\u2019s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. astronauts are about to blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in the history of human spaceflight, a private company is running the show.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":68585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,24,88,16,26,65,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1726],"class_list":["post-36805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"I5ZOC7746VDH3P2ACKGXLCCHKI","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-military\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n
NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. astronauts are about to blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in the history of human spaceflight, a private company is running the show.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. astronauts are about to blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in the history of human spaceflight, a private company is running the show.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-21T22:10:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T07:00:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t \"@graph\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/#article\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/\"\n\t },\n\t \"author\": {\n\t \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t },\n\t \"headline\": \"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf\",\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2020-05-21T22:10:40+00:00\",\n\t \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T07:00:06+00:00\",\n\t \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/\"\n\t },\n\t \"wordCount\": 1625,\n\t \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t \"publisher\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"articleSection\": [\n\t \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t \"Home\",\n\t \"Left Column\",\n\t \"News\",\n\t \"Newsletters\",\n\t \"Pentagon & Congress\",\n\t \"Your Air Force\"\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/#respond\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf - Air Force TImes\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\"\n\t },\n\t \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2020-05-21T22:10:40+00:00\",\n\t \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T07:00:06+00:00\",\n\t \"description\": \"For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. astronauts are about to blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in the history of human spaceflight, a private company is running the show.\",\n\t \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t },\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/21\\\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t \"itemListElement\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 1,\n\t \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 2,\n\t \"name\": \"News\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 3,\n\t \"name\": \"Your Air Force\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/\",\n\t \"ad_zone\": \"your-air-force\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 4,\n\t \"name\": \"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t \"description\": \"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times\",\n\t \"publisher\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t },\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t \"target\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t },\n\t \"query-input\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t }\n\t }\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t \"logo\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t \"caption\": \"Air Force TImes\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t }\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t },\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf - Air Force TImes","description":"For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. astronauts are about to blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in the history of human spaceflight, a private company is running the show.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf","og_description":"For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. astronauts are about to blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in the history of human spaceflight, a private company is running the show.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/","og_site_name":"Air Force TImes","article_published_time":"2020-05-21T22:10:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T07:00:06+00:00","author":"Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf","datePublished":"2020-05-21T22:10:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T07:00:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/"},"wordCount":1625,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Home","Left Column","News","Newsletters","Pentagon & Congress","Your Air Force"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/","name":"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf - Air Force TImes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2020-05-21T22:10:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T07:00:06+00:00","description":"For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. astronauts are about to blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in the history of human spaceflight, a private company is running the show.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/05\/21\/nasa-spacex-bringing-astronaut-launches-back-to-home-turf\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Your Air Force","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/","ad_zone":"your-air-force"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","name":"Air Force TImes","description":"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization","name":"Air Force TImes","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","caption":"Air Force TImes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Air Force TImes","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20141829933695.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36805"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93632,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36805\/revisions\/93632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36805"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=36805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}