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SpaceX to launch astronauts — and a new era of private human spaceflight

The Crew Dragon capsule is set to be the first commercially built craft to take people to orbit.
  1. Alexandra Witze
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Update 31 May: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon lifted off successfully at 3.22 p.m. US Eastern time on 30 May. It docked with the International Space Station on 31 May.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01554-8

Updates & Corrections

  • Update 28 May 2020: Bad weather postponed the anticipated launch on 27 May. The next opportunity is on 30 May at 3.22 p.m. US Eastern time.

  • Update 30 May 2020: This story has been updated with details of the Crew Dragon’s successful flight to the International Space Station.

  • Correction 01 June 2020: An earlier version of this story mistakenly said that SpaceX spacecraft had been taking cargo to and from the International Space Station since 2019. In fact, it has been ferrying cargo since 2012.

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