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AFP
![Shivering for Elon Musk: His space company SpaceX sends Nasa astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday.]()
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Shivering for Elon Musk: His space company SpaceX sends Nasa astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday.
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Getty Images
![The start was supposed to take place on Wednesday evening, but had to be postponed due to bad weather.]()
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The start was supposed to take place on Wednesday evening, but had to be postponed due to bad weather.
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keystone-sda.ch
![On board: NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley - here during a test.]()
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On board: NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley – here during a test.
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imago images / ZUMA Wire
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The “Crew Dragon” space capsule is launched into space using a “Falcon 9” rocket.
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keystone-sda.ch
![Due to the corona, there will be no spectators on site at the start. However, it will be broadcast live.]()
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Due to the corona, there will be no spectators on site at the start. However, it will be broadcast live.
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After a first failed attempt to start due to the weather, astronauts are expected to take off from the USA to the ISS space station for the first time in around nine years on Saturday. At 9:22 p.m. CEST, US space travelers Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are to launch a “Falcon 9” rocket from Cape Canaveral spaceport in a “Crew Dragon” space capsule to the International Space Station (ISS). A day later, they are supposed to dock with the ISS and stay around a month. The start is eagerly awaited worldwide.
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Start time at Cape CanaveralSwiss time: 9:22 pm
UTC: 7:22 p.m.
Florida Local Time: 3:22 p.m.—
The first attempt on Wednesday had been canceled about a quarter of an hour before the start due to bad weather conditions. Dark clouds were seen over Cape Canaveral in the US state of Florida and it rained lightly again and again, and there was also concern about lightning. Experts also did not consider the weather conditions for the second start attempt to be ideal. If the start had to be postponed again, another attempt on Sunday would be possible.
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SpaceX’s first manned flight
It is the last flight test for the “Crew Dragon” developed by the private space company SpaceX – and the first time that a private provider is carrying astronauts on behalf of Nasa. SpaceX was founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk and has so far only transported cargo to the ISS.
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Because of the corona virus pandemic, access to the spaceport site in Florida is severely restricted. US President Donald Trump has announced his participation again.
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Missile prototype explodes – setback for Elon Musk
At the same time as the preparations in Florida, tests are already underway in Texas for the successor version of the “Falcon” rockets. But now follows the fourth setback for Musk: The prototype went up in flames on Friday, as videos show. The first unmanned flight was soon to take off under the project name “Starship”.
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For a long time, the USA no longer launched its own space shuttle
The last time astronauts flew to the ISS in summer 2011 was on the space shuttle “Atlantis”. The US space agency Nasa then mothballed its space shuttle fleet for cost reasons and has since been dependent on Russia for flights to the ISS. At around 80 million euros per flight in a Russian Soyuz capsule, this was not only expensive, but also scratched the ego a lot.
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In fact, NASA’s own flights from the U.S. to the ISS had already been announced for 2017 – due to technical problems, funding difficulties and restructuring after the election of US President Trump, the project was postponed. (SDA / szm)
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