SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule successfully reached outer space at around 2 a.m. EST Saturday morning. Repeated cheers rang out from the crowds at the Kennedy Space Center launch-site as the capsule passed each flight stage.
If the rest of the flight goes well over the next six days, and NASA certifies the capsule is safe, Elon Musk’s rocket company could begin launching astronauts into orbit this summer. That would mark the first time a private company has launched a human into orbit. Saturday’s launch was a pivotal test flight for human-crewed missions, even though the only passengers on this trip are a mannequin named Ripley, after the character from the Alien movie franchise, and a free-floating Earth plush toy brought aboard in the final hours. There’s also about 400 pounds of cargo and equipment onboard for the International Space Station. Crew Dragon, or Dragon 2, will dock there on Sunday, ...
