The two astronauts are sent off in a space capsule developed by SpaceX.
Both the volume of flickering flags and the volume of the American national tune ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ is fully increased when Nasa on Wednesday night, two astronauts will launch to the International Space Station, ISS.
For the first time since 2011, the United States is launching astronauts from its own earth – and into a US-built space capsule.
It’s a huge event for boats Nasa and the United States because it is being restored prestige, lost in 2011. It does not feel good for a country that sees itself as a leading rumor that you have been dependent on the Russians.
This is how it sounds from Michael Linden-Vørnle, who astrophysicist and chief consultant at DTU Space.
In 2011, he retired Nasaits last space shuttle. Since then, Americans have used the Russian Sojuz space capsule to send astronauts to the ISS.
The Soyuz capsules are being shipped from Bajkonur in Kazakhstan.
But now the Russian capsule – and its associated rocket – has been replaced with American versions, built by the private space company SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
The weather is the biggest challenge
If all goes as planned, come launch to happen at 22.33 Danish time from the historic 39A complex at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
It was from here that the lunar missions in the 1960s were shot down.
– The biggest challenge is the weather. A few days ago there was only a 40 percent chance of a launch, but today the chance was 60 percent.
This is what Michael Linden-Vørnle says, emphasizing that there are always risks associated with rocket launches.
– But all the technical has been reviewed one last time. You have had a successful test of the system to firespace capsule with astronauts off the rocket if something goes wrong during the launch, he says.
Full screw display
Tonight’s launch is the final test of SpaceX’s space capsule, Crew Dragon, before it can begin firmly shipping crews to the ISS.
On board are the two Nasaastronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley. The latter was also part of the last US space shuttle mission in 2011.
And that, according to Michael Linden-Vørnle, is hardly a coincidence.
“It is a true American event and there is no doubt that it will show that it is the beginning of a new era,” he says.
‘Launch America’ calls Nasaeven the event, which is featured on YouTube side by side with images from the 1969 moon landing mission.
On DTU in Lyngby, Michael Linden-Vørnle follows excitedly at tonight’s events.
He has been present several times himself launch of rockets.
– You are typically 5-7 kilometers away. When the engines start, you first see the light because it travels fastest. Then comes the sound, which is not just sound. You can feel the pressure wave throughout your body, he says.
