Astronauts Arrive at Kennedy Space Center Ahead of May 27 Launch

Voice of America
22 May 2020, 00:35 GMT+10

NASA and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida have welcomed the two astronauts who, next Wednesday, are scheduled to head to space, becoming the first humans to do so from U.S. soil in nine years.

NASA test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken arrived from their home base in Houston aboard one of the space agency's jets Wednesday. They will also make history as the first astronauts to go into space in a privately-funded spacecraft.

The two are scheduled to blast off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, bound for the International Space Station.

Hurley was a crew member on the final shuttle flight launched from the space center July 4, 2011. He told reporters it was "incredibly humbling" to be there for the restart of manned space launches from the United States.

Behnken called it "an opportunity but also a responsibility for the American people, for the SpaceX team, for all of NASA."

Hurley and Behnken are scheduled to dock at the International Space Station on the 28th. The two still don't know how long they'll spend at the space station. Only one American, Chris Cassidy, is there now.

Since the end of the shuttle program in 2011, the only way to the orbiting outpost has been on Russian rockets launched from Kazakhstan.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Broadcast Communications.

More Information

null in null

Business

Section

Tech stocks slide, industrials surge on Wall Street

NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...

Canada-US trade talks resume after Carney rescinds tech tax

TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...

Lululemon accuses Costco of selling knockoff apparel

Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...

Shell rejects claim of early merger talks with BP

LONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...

Wall Street extends rally, Standard and Poor's 500 hits new high

NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...

Canadian tax on US tech giants dropped after Trump fury

WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...

Sectors - Broadcasting

Section

SBA participates in World News Media Conference 2025 in Poland

SHARJAH, 7th May, 2025 (WAM) -- The Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA) recently took part in the 76th World News Media Congress,...

"Landmark day for India's efforts to encourage sporting talent": New National Sports Policy 2025 approval

New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): On the occasion of the approval of the new 'Khelo Bharat Niti 2025', Prime Minister Narendra Modi...

Indian Institute of Creative Technologies begins admissions for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, in August

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 1 (ANI): The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) opens admissions for its first batch...

Cabinet approves Research and Development and Innovation scheme with corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore to boost strategic, sunrise domains

New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): In a significant step to bolster India's research and innovation ecosystem, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday...

Georgia Risks EU Sanctions; Ukraine Hits Roadblocks In NATO, EU Bids

Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions...

Uttarakhand CM Dhami participates in Space Conference 2025 focused on role of Himalayan states

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 30 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday participated in the Space Technology...