<p><span class="region">Washington DC, United States</span>
<p>NASA has warned of two massive asteroids will make their closest approach on Monday (December 16, 2024). These celestial bodies are named 2024 XY5 and 2024 XB6. They are racing towards Earth at incredible speeds. Although NASA has confirmed that neither poses a danger to our planet. These near-Earth objects (NEOs) highlight the importance of vigilant monitoring by space agencies.</p></p>
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<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Asteroid 2024 XY5</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">Asteroid 2024 XY5 measures 71 feet across, about the size of a large aircraft, and is travelling at a speed of 10,805 miles per hour. It will make its closest approach to Earth at 12:26 AM IST on Monday, passing within 2,180,000 miles—about 16 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. "Although this is a close encounter in cosmic terms, there’s absolutely no cause for concern," say NASA scientists. </p>
<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Asteroid 2024 XB6</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">Shortly after, another asteroid, 2024 XB6, will approach Earth at 7:25 AM IST on the same day. This one is slightly smaller, measuring 56 feet in diameter, akin to the size of a house. It will travel even faster, clocking a speed of 23,787 km/h, and will pass Earth at a safe distance of 6,690,000 kilometres—approximately 17.4 times the Moon’s distance.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-tracks-three-huge-asteroids-racing-towards-earth-will-they-become-an-immediate-threat-767071">NASA tracks three huge asteroids racing towards Earth. Will they become an immediate threat?</a></strong></p>
<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Are these asteroids dangerous?</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">Despite their size and speed, neither asteroid is considered a "potentially hazardous asteroid." NASA defines hazardous objects as those larger than 150 metres that approach within 4.6 million kilometres of Earth. “These asteroids serve as reminders of the need to stay alert for potential space hazards,” says a NASA scientist.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Watch: Space Agency NASA Issues Asteroid Warning</strong></p>
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/files/2024/10/18/1810_aestroid_2pm_pkwo-1729246213-00000003.jpg&videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/1810_aestroid_2pm_pkwo.mp4/index.m3u8&duration=133&tags=space,asteroid,NASA,World News,WION" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Why it matters</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">Observing asteroids like 2024 XY5 and XB6 isn’t just about safety. It’s a window into the past, helping scientists understand the very fabric of our solar system while safeguarding Earth against future threats.</p>
<p dir="ltr">(<em>With inputs from agencies</em>) </p>


NASA warns that two massive asteroids, 2024 XY5 and 2024 XB6, will make their closest approach to Earth on Monday, December 16, 2024, travelling at incredible speeds.



Washington DC, United States NASA has warned of two massive asteroids will make their closest approach on Monday (December 16, 2024). These celestial bodies are named 2024 XY5 and 2024 XB6. They are racing towards Earth at incredible speeds. Although NASA has confirmed that neither poses a danger to our planet. These near-Earth objects (NEOs) highlight the importance of vigilant monitoring by space agencies. Asteroid 2024 XY5 Asteroid 2024 XY5 measures 71 feet across, about the size of a large aircraft, and is travelling at a speed of 10,805 miles per hour. It will make its closest approach to Earth at 12:26 AM IST on Monday, passing within 2,180,000 miles—about 16 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. "Although this is a close encounter in cosmic terms, there’s absolutely no cause for concern," say NASA scientists. Asteroid 2024 XB6 Shortly after, another asteroid, 2024 XB6, will approach Earth at 7:25 AM IST on the same day. This one is slightly smaller, measuring 56 feet in diameter, akin to the size of a house. It will travel even faster, clocking a speed of 23,787 km/h, and will pass Earth at a safe distance of 6,690,000 kilometres—approximately 17.4 times the Moon’s distance. Also Read: NASA tracks three huge asteroids racing towards Earth. Will they become an immediate threat? Are these asteroids dangerous? Despite their size and speed, neither asteroid is considered a "potentially hazardous asteroid." NASA defines hazardous objects as those larger than 150 metres that approach within 4.6 million kilometres of Earth. “These asteroids serve as reminders of the need to stay alert for potential space hazards,” says a NASA scientist. Watch: Space Agency NASA Issues Asteroid Warning Why it matters Observing asteroids like 2024 XY5 and XB6 isn’t just about safety. It’s a window into the past, helping scientists understand the very fabric of our solar system while safeguarding Earth against future threats. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA warns, asteroids 2024 XY5 and 2024 XB6 race toward Earth — but are they really a threat?

<p>NASA has warned&nbsp;of two massive asteroids will make their closest approach on Monday (December 16, 2024). These celestial bodies are named 2024 XY5 and 2024 XB6. They are racing towards Earth at incredible speeds. Although NASA has confirmed that neither poses a danger to our planet. These near-Earth objects (NEOs) highlight the importance of vigilant monitoring by space agencies.</p>

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<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Asteroid 2024 XY5</strong></h2>

<p dir="ltr">Asteroid 2024 XY5 measures 71 feet across, about the size of a large aircraft, and is travelling at a speed of 10,805 miles per hour. It will make its closest approach to Earth at 12:26 AM IST on Monday, passing within 2,180,000 miles—about 16 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. "Although this is a close encounter in cosmic terms, there’s absolutely no cause for concern," say NASA scientists.&nbsp;</p>

<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Asteroid 2024 XB6</strong></h2>

<p dir="ltr">Shortly after, another asteroid, 2024 XB6, will approach Earth at 7:25 AM IST on the same day. This one is slightly smaller, measuring 56 feet in diameter, akin to the size of a house. It will travel even faster, clocking a speed of 23,787 km/h, and will pass Earth at a safe distance of 6,690,000 kilometres—approximately 17.4 times the Moon’s distance.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-tracks-three-huge-asteroids-racing-towards-earth-will-they-become-an-immediate-threat-767071">NASA tracks three huge asteroids racing towards Earth. Will they become an immediate threat?</a></strong></p>

<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Are these asteroids dangerous?</strong></h2>

<p dir="ltr">Despite their size and speed, neither asteroid is considered a "potentially hazardous asteroid." NASA defines hazardous objects as those larger than 150 metres that approach within 4.6 million kilometres of Earth. “These asteroids serve as reminders of the need to stay alert for potential space hazards,” says a NASA scientist.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Space Agency NASA Issues Asteroid Warning</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/space-agency-nasa-issues-asteroid-warning-768677/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Why it matters</strong></h2>

<p dir="ltr">Observing asteroids like 2024 XY5 and XB6 isn’t just about safety. It’s a window into the past, helping scientists understand the very fabric of our solar system while safeguarding Earth against future threats.</p>

<p dir="ltr">(<em>With inputs from agencies</em>)&nbsp;</p>


NASA has warned of two massive asteroids will make their closest approach on Monday (December 16, 2024). These celestial bodies are named 2024 XY5 and 2024 XB6. They are racing towards Earth at incredible speeds.

NASA has warned of two massive asteroids will make their closest approach on Monday (December 16, 2024). These celestial bodies are named 2024 XY5 and 2024 XB6. They are racing towards Earth at incredible speeds. Although NASA has confirmed that neither poses a danger to our planet. These near-Earth objects (NEOs) highlight the importance of vigilant monitoring by space agencies. Asteroid 2024 XY5 Asteroid 2024 XY5 measures 71 feet across, about the size of a large aircraft, and is travelling at a speed of 10,805 miles per hour. It will make its closest approach to Earth at 12:26 AM IST on Monday, passing within 2,180,000 miles—about 16 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. "Although this is a close encounter in cosmic terms, there’s absolutely no cause for concern," say NASA scientists. Asteroid 2024 XB6 Shortly after, another asteroid, 2024 XB6, will approach Earth at 7:25 AM IST on the same day. This one is slightly smaller, measuring 56 feet in diameter, akin to the size of a house. It will travel even faster, clocking a speed of 23,787 km/h, and will pass Earth at a safe distance of 6,690,000 kilometres—approximately 17.4 times the Moon’s distance. Also Read: NASA tracks three huge asteroids racing towards Earth. Will they become an immediate threat? Are these asteroids dangerous? Despite their size and speed, neither asteroid is considered a "potentially hazardous asteroid." NASA defines hazardous objects as those larger than 150 metres that approach within 4.6 million kilometres of Earth. “These asteroids serve as reminders of the need to stay alert for potential space hazards,” says a NASA scientist. Watch: Space Agency NASA Issues Asteroid Warning Why it matters Observing asteroids like 2024 XY5 and XB6 isn’t just about safety. It’s a window into the past, helping scientists understand the very fabric of our solar system while safeguarding Earth against future threats. (With inputs from agencies)

<p>NASA on Monday (Oct 14) successfully launched its Europa Clipper mission aboard the powerful SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida for a five-and-a-half-year journey to Europa - one of&nbsp;Jupiter's many moons to find alien life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The $5 billion probe is the largest ever designed by NASA for interplanetary exploration. It measures 30 metres wide when its immense solar panels, designed to capture the weak light that reaches Jupiter are fully extended.</p>

<p>Travelling 1.8 billion miles, it will orbit both the Earth and Mars to propel itself further towards Jupiter in the sling-shot effect. It is also expected to complete 49 close flybys of the Jupiter moon.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Leaving our water world, to explore another 🚀<a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaClipper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuropaClipper</a> launched from <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAKennedy</a> at 12:06pm ET (16:06 UTC) on a <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceX</a> Falcon Heavy, beginning a 1.8-billion-mile journey to explore the mysteries of Europa, Jupiter’s ocean moon. <a href="https://t.co/IQ7uRSviMb">pic.twitter.com/IQ7uRSviMb</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1845859399178264640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Watch | Europa Clipper Will Perform 49 Close Flybys Of Europa</strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Why Europa?</strong></h2>

<p>While Europa's existence, located 628.3 million kilometres away from Earth, has been known since 1610, the first close-up images were taken by the Voyager probes in 1979, which revealed mysterious reddish lines crisscrossing its surface.</p>

<p>The next probe to reach Jupiter's icy moon was NASA's Galileo probe in the 1990s, which found it was highly likely that the moon was home to an ocean.</p>

<p>Europa’s most dominant feature, that distinguishes it from our Moon, is its vast, salty ocean contained under a thick ice crust, which sometimes escapes through vast water plumes. Its icy crust is up to 25 km thick with certain chemicals that may be the building blocks for life on the moon.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-mechazilla-catches-starship-booster-in-historic-achievement-watch-767075"><strong>Also read | SpaceX 'Mechazilla' catches Starship booster mid-air in historic achievement&nbsp;</strong></a></p>

<p>"With Europa Clipper, we're not searching for life on Europa, but we're trying to see if this ocean world is habitable, and that means we're looking for the water," explained NASA official Gina DiBraccio prior to the launch.</p>

<p>Scientists are aiming that the instrument on NASA’s Clipper spacecraft will map the entire moon, will also collect dust particles and fly through the water plumes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If life's ingredients are found, another mission would then have to make the journey to try and detect it.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA on Monday (Oct 14) successfully launched its Europa Clipper mission aboard the powerful SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida for a five-and-a-half-year journey to Europa - one of Jupiter's many moons to find alien life.

NASA on Monday (Oct 14) successfully launched its Europa Clipper mission aboard the powerful SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida for a five-and-a-half-year journey to Europa - one of Jupiter's many moons to find alien life. The $5 billion probe is the largest ever designed by NASA for interplanetary exploration. It measures 30 metres wide when its immense solar panels, designed to capture the weak light that reaches Jupiter are fully extended. Travelling 1.8 billion miles, it will orbit both the Earth and Mars to propel itself further towards Jupiter in the sling-shot effect. It is also expected to complete 49 close flybys of the Jupiter moon. Leaving our water world, to explore another 🚀@EuropaClipper launched from @NASAKennedy at 12:06pm ET (16:06 UTC) on a @SpaceX Falcon Heavy, beginning a 1.8-billion-mile journey to explore the mysteries of Europa, Jupiter’s ocean moon. pic.twitter.com/IQ7uRSviMb — NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2024 × Watch | Europa Clipper Will Perform 49 Close Flybys Of Europa × Why Europa? While Europa's existence, located 628.3 million kilometres away from Earth, has been known since 1610, the first close-up images were taken by the Voyager probes in 1979, which revealed mysterious reddish lines crisscrossing its surface. The next probe to reach Jupiter's icy moon was NASA's Galileo probe in the 1990s, which found it was highly likely that the moon was home to an ocean. Europa’s most dominant feature, that distinguishes it from our Moon, is its vast, salty ocean contained under a thick ice crust, which sometimes escapes through vast water plumes. Its icy crust is up to 25 km thick with certain chemicals that may be the building blocks for life on the moon. Also read | SpaceX 'Mechazilla' catches Starship booster mid-air in historic achievement "With Europa Clipper, we're not searching for life on Europa, but we're trying to see if this ocean world is habitable, and that means we're looking for the water," explained NASA official Gina DiBraccio prior to the launch. Scientists are aiming that the instrument on NASA’s Clipper spacecraft will map the entire moon, will also collect dust particles and fly through the water plumes. If life's ingredients are found, another mission would then have to make the journey to try and detect it. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Europa Clipper successfully lifts off to find alien life on Jupiter's moon

<p>Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the&nbsp;first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night.</p>

<p>The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is now en route its way back to the Earth.</p>

<p>SpaceX confirmed on Twitter by tweeting, "Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station" along with a video.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> <a href="https://t.co/ea14fozdO8">pic.twitter.com/ea14fozdO8</a></p>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1289706785469677568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The two American astronauts' capsule is set to undock around 2334 GMT (7:30pm). However, the NASA is still observing the&nbsp;Hurricane Isaias — a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-might-delay-spacex-nasa-return-trip-from-iss-317469"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Hurricane might delay SpaceX-NASA return trip from ISS</strong></a></p>

<p>"Conditions are 'Go' at the primary targeted site, off the coast (of) Pensacola, and alternate site off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico for splashdown and recovery on Sunday, Aug 2," NASA said in a blog post.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LandAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LandAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/FvyzeA58sb">pic.twitter.com/FvyzeA58sb</a></p>
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1289576302333145089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bob Behnken, in an ISS ceremony aboard said that earlier "the hardest part was getting us launched. But the most important part is bringing us home."</p>

<p>SpaceX is also running a live webcast of Crew Dragon's return to Earth.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Webcast of Crew Dragon’s return to Earth from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@space_station</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroBehnken</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Doug?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Doug</a> → <a href="https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK">https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK</a> <a href="https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S">https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S</a></p>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1289671305835327488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is now en route its way back to the Earth. SpaceX confirmed on Twitter by tweeting, "Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station" along with a video. Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/ea14fozdO8 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 1, 2020 × The two American astronauts' capsule is set to undock around 2334 GMT (7:30pm). However, the NASA is still observing the Hurricane Isaias — a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida. Also read: Hurricane might delay SpaceX-NASA return trip from ISS "Conditions are 'Go' at the primary targeted site, off the coast (of) Pensacola, and alternate site off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico for splashdown and recovery on Sunday, Aug 2," NASA said in a blog post. All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… #LandAmerica pic.twitter.com/FvyzeA58sb — Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) August 1, 2020 × Bob Behnken, in an ISS ceremony aboard said that earlier "the hardest part was getting us launched. But the most important part is bringing us home." SpaceX is also running a live webcast of Crew Dragon's return to Earth. Webcast of Crew Dragon’s return to Earth from the @space_station with @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug → https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 1, 2020 ×

'I am ready to come home': SpaceX Crew Dragon undocks from ISS to return to Earth

<p>As a mark of respect all the healthcare workers fighting coronavirus battle around the world, NASA's Next Mars rover revealed a commemorative plate attached to the rover,&nbsp;called the COVID-19 Perseverance plate.</p>

<p>Deputy project manager Matt Wallace of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said that medical workers have inspired them and he hopes that this Perseverance plate inspires them in return.</p>

<p>NASA's next Mars rover is scheduled to be launched on July 20, 2020. The launch is scheduled for 9.15 am ET with a two-hour window. If the rover isn’t launched by mid-August, it would need to wait until 2022 when Earth and Mars are back in proper alignment.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-postpones-mars-rover-perseverance-launch-to-july-20-305395">Also Read: NASA postpones Mars rover Perseverance launch to July 20</a></p>

<p>In April, NASA developed high-pressure ventilator to fight COVID-19. &nbsp;The device called VITAL is intended to last three to four months and is specifically tailored for COVID-19 patients, according to NASA.</p>

<p>This high-pressure ventilator offers a simple, affordable option for treating critical patients while freeing up traditional ventilators for those with the most severe COVID-19 symptoms. Its flexible design means it also can be modified for use in field hospitals, the NASA statement read.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-becomes-first-commercial-company-to-launch-nasa-astronauts-302454">Also Read: SpaceX becomes first commercial company to launch NASA astronauts</a></p>

<p>Three Indian companies, apart from 18 other companies from other countries, have been selected by NASA to manufacture its indigenously developed ventilators.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


As a mark of respect all the healthcare workers fighting coronavirus battle around the world, NASA's Next Mars rover revealed a commemorative plate attached to the rover, called the COVID-19 Perseverance plate.

As a mark of respect all the healthcare workers fighting coronavirus battle around the world, NASA's Next Mars rover revealed a commemorative plate attached to the rover, called the COVID-19 Perseverance plate. Deputy project manager Matt Wallace of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said that medical workers have inspired them and he hopes that this Perseverance plate inspires them in return. NASA's next Mars rover is scheduled to be launched on July 20, 2020. The launch is scheduled for 9.15 am ET with a two-hour window. If the rover isn’t launched by mid-August, it would need to wait until 2022 when Earth and Mars are back in proper alignment. Also Read: NASA postpones Mars rover Perseverance launch to July 20 In April, NASA developed high-pressure ventilator to fight COVID-19. The device called VITAL is intended to last three to four months and is specifically tailored for COVID-19 patients, according to NASA. This high-pressure ventilator offers a simple, affordable option for treating critical patients while freeing up traditional ventilators for those with the most severe COVID-19 symptoms. Its flexible design means it also can be modified for use in field hospitals, the NASA statement read. Also Read: SpaceX becomes first commercial company to launch NASA astronauts Three Indian companies, apart from 18 other companies from other countries, have been selected by NASA to manufacture its indigenously developed ventilators. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Next Mars rover honours healthcare workers battling coronavirus

<p>SpaceX on Wednesday is set to launch two American astronauts, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, to the International Space Station (ISS) in a mission called Demo-2.</p>

<p>This would be the first crewed space flight from US soil in nine years and a crucial step towards ending American dependence on Russian rockets.</p>

<p>ISS is currently housing two Russians and one other American.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>The Takeoff:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule carrying astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken and its Falcon 9 rocket is due to lift off at 4:33 PM&nbsp;EDT (2033 GMT) on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Pad 39A is the same launchpad that was used by NASA’s last space shuttle mission in 2011.<br />
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<img alt="NASA" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="84859c95-ecb1-4417-8bc9-9d79729e863d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/NASA.jpg" /></p>

<p>NASA will have input throughout the countdown, but in the end, it will be SpaceX giving the final go&nbsp;with NASA's concurrence. NASA will stream the launch live on its website, YouTube and other platforms.<br />
<br />
Crew Dragon will catch up with the station on Thursday at an altitude of 400 kilometers.</p>

<p><strong>What is SpaceX?</strong></p>

<p>SpaceX is the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. The launch represents another milestone for the reusable rockets his company pioneered to make spaceflight less costly and frequent.&nbsp;</p>

<p>SpaceX made history in 2012 when it became the first private entity to dock a cargo capsule to the ISS. If Crew Dragon mission, baptized Demo-2, is successful SpaceX will be the first private company ever to deliver astronauts to the ISS.</p>

<p><strong>Who are the Astronauts?</strong></p>

<p>Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are the astronauts who will be aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule when it launches on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hurley, 53, and Behnken, 49, NASA employees under contract to fly with SpaceX, are expected to remain at the space station for several months, assisting a short-handed crew aboard the orbital laboratory.</p>

<p>Behnken and Hurley have been in strict quarantine since May 13 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they said their actual isolation began as far back as mid-March.<br />
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<img alt="Astraunauts" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0892fb1e-71a6-4deb-9bef-7f3ecc4ba509" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Astraunauts.jpg" /></p>

<p>Behnken and Hurley have been training for five years on the Crew Dragon capsule, which features touchscreens as opposed to the switches and buttons of the Apollo capsules of the 1960s.</p>

<p>At the end of the mission, Crew Dragon will splashdown in the ocean like the Apollo capsules did.<br />
<br />
<strong>President Trump&nbsp;to Attend the Launch</strong></p>

<p>President Donald Trump will become&nbsp;the third US leader to watch the take-off of a human space flight in person, after Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.&nbsp;</p>

<p>President Trump is&nbsp;trying to reaffirm American domination of space. He has ordered NASA to return to the moon by 2024 and to prepare missions to Mars,&nbsp;an unlikely timetable but one that has given the storied space agency a boost.<br />
<br />
Vice President Mike Pence, who is chairman of the National Space Council, also plans to attend Wednesday's launch.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Why Is The Mission Important to NASA and the US?</strong></p>

<p>A successful mission would achieve NASA's&nbsp;top priority&nbsp;of resuming launches of “American astronauts on American rockets from American soil.”&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<img alt="US" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f95b5023-8bd2-457d-9146-dfee1579dff5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/America.jpg" /></p>

<p>Mission's success is a point of national pride for the United States, which has depended on Russian rockets to reach space since its last crewed flight in 2011. If all goes well, the Crew Dragon could then begin regular flights from the United States to the ISS.<br />
<br />
<strong>Public-Private Partnership</strong></p>

<p>The mission would also mark the first time that commercially developed space vehicles, owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA, have carried Americans into orbit.</p>

<p>NASA has awarded contracts worth 3.1 billion dollars to SpaceX and 4.9 billion dollars to Boeing in a bid to give the US independent access to space once again.</p>

<p>SpaceX and Boeing are being called upon to carry out six crewed voyages each to the ISS over the next few years.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)</em></p>


SpaceX on Wednesday is set to launch two American astronauts, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, to the International Space Station (ISS) in a mission called Demo-2. This would be the first crewed space flight from US soil in nine years and a crucial step towards ending American dependence on Russian rockets.

SpaceX on Wednesday is set to launch two American astronauts, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, to the International Space Station (ISS) in a mission called Demo-2. This would be the first crewed space flight from US soil in nine years and a crucial step towards ending American dependence on Russian rockets. ISS is currently housing two Russians and one other American. The Takeoff: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule carrying astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken and its Falcon 9 rocket is due to lift off at 4:33 PM EDT (2033 GMT) on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Pad 39A is the same launchpad that was used by NASA’s last space shuttle mission in 2011. NASA will have input throughout the countdown, but in the end, it will be SpaceX giving the final go with NASA's concurrence. NASA will stream the launch live on its website, YouTube and other platforms. Crew Dragon will catch up with the station on Thursday at an altitude of 400 kilometers. What is SpaceX? SpaceX is the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. The launch represents another milestone for the reusable rockets his company pioneered to make spaceflight less costly and frequent. SpaceX made history in 2012 when it became the first private entity to dock a cargo capsule to the ISS. If Crew Dragon mission, baptized Demo-2, is successful SpaceX will be the first private company ever to deliver astronauts to the ISS. Who are the Astronauts? Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are the astronauts who will be aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule when it launches on Wednesday. Hurley, 53, and Behnken, 49, NASA employees under contract to fly with SpaceX, are expected to remain at the space station for several months, assisting a short-handed crew aboard the orbital laboratory. Behnken and Hurley have been in strict quarantine since May 13 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they said their actual isolation began as far back as mid-March. Behnken and Hurley have been training for five years on the Crew Dragon capsule, which features touchscreens as opposed to the switches and buttons of the Apollo capsules of the 1960s. At the end of the mission, Crew Dragon will splashdown in the ocean like the Apollo capsules did. President Trump to Attend the Launch President Donald Trump will become the third US leader to watch the take-off of a human space flight in person, after Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. President Trump is trying to reaffirm American domination of space. He has ordered NASA to return to the moon by 2024 and to prepare missions to Mars, an unlikely timetable but one that has given the storied space agency a boost. Vice President Mike Pence, who is chairman of the National Space Council, also plans to attend Wednesday's launch. Why Is The Mission Important to NASA and the US? A successful mission would achieve NASA's top priority of resuming launches of “American astronauts on American rockets from American soil.” Mission's success is a point of national pride for the United States, which has depended on Russian rockets to reach space since its last crewed flight in 2011. If all goes well, the Crew Dragon could then begin regular flights from the United States to the ISS. Public-Private Partnership The mission would also mark the first time that commercially developed space vehicles, owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA, have carried Americans into orbit. NASA has awarded contracts worth 3.1 billion dollars to SpaceX and 4.9 billion dollars to Boeing in a bid to give the US independent access to space once again. SpaceX and Boeing are being called upon to carry out six crewed voyages each to the ISS over the next few years. (With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

SpaceX set for historic launch with NASA's astronauts on board: All you need to know

<p>Space X's Crew Dragon spacecraft is set to launch on Wednesday and will hover its course to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket will host two NASA astronauts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It will be the first since 2011 that the American astronauts on an American rocket will launch on American soil. The mission will be called Demo-2.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, Kathy Lueders, mission team concluded the launch readiness review for the upcoming mission.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">SpaceX and <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities with <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroBehnken</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Doug?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Doug</a> ahead of Crew Demo-2 <a href="https://t.co/n3B2BBBmnq">pic.twitter.com/n3B2BBBmnq</a></p>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1264332725844013056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon will lift off from Launch Complex 39A – the same place Saturn V launched humanity to the Moon and from where the first and final Space Shuttle missions lifted off <a href="https://t.co/wOSsbCRqi7">pic.twitter.com/wOSsbCRqi7</a></p>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1265060787288043520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Both NASA and SpaceX have shown a green signal for the launch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft will take place on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center.&nbsp;</p>

<p>President Donald Trump will watch American astronauts blast into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center for the first time in more than a decade, next week.</p>

<p>This means he would be on the Florida coast on Wednesday to watch the event unfold. The USP of this event, however, is that Elon Musk's SpaceX is the conductor and NASA the customer as businesses begin chauffeuring astronauts to the International Space Station.</p>

<p>Vice President Mike Pence, who is chairman of the National Space Council, also plans to attend Wednesday's launch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will arrive at the ISS, 24 hours after the launch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pictures of them in the spacesuit was posted by SpaceX on Instagram. Suit's sleek design left the netizens in awe.&nbsp;</p>


Space X's Crew Dragon spacecraft is set to launch on Wednesday and will hover its course to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket will host two NASA astronauts.

Space X's Crew Dragon spacecraft is set to launch on Wednesday and will hover its course to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket will host two NASA astronauts. It will be the first since 2011 that the American astronauts on an American rocket will launch on American soil. The mission will be called Demo-2. According to the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, Kathy Lueders, mission team concluded the launch readiness review for the upcoming mission. SpaceX and @NASA completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities with @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug ahead of Crew Demo-2 pic.twitter.com/n3B2BBBmnq — SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 23, 2020 × Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon will lift off from Launch Complex 39A – the same place Saturn V launched humanity to the Moon and from where the first and final Space Shuttle missions lifted off pic.twitter.com/wOSsbCRqi7 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 25, 2020 × Both NASA and SpaceX have shown a green signal for the launch. Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft will take place on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center. President Donald Trump will watch American astronauts blast into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center for the first time in more than a decade, next week. This means he would be on the Florida coast on Wednesday to watch the event unfold. The USP of this event, however, is that Elon Musk's SpaceX is the conductor and NASA the customer as businesses begin chauffeuring astronauts to the International Space Station. Vice President Mike Pence, who is chairman of the National Space Council, also plans to attend Wednesday's launch. NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will arrive at the ISS, 24 hours after the launch. Pictures of them in the spacesuit was posted by SpaceX on Instagram. Suit's sleek design left the netizens in awe.

NASA and SpaceX brace themselves for a historic launch!

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SpaceX set for historic launch with NASA's astronauts on board: All you need to know

NASA and SpaceX brace themselves for a historic launch!