SpaceX founder Elon Musk is over the moon following the successful launch of the Falcon 9, the two-stage-to-orbit medium lift launch vehicle that has sent astronauts to orbit from the United States for the first time in nearly a decade.
The last crewed launch took place in 2011 while the Space Shuttle program was still active, the historic launch marks the first time a private company launched humans into space to reach the International Space Station.
Over the past nine years, astronauts from America have been using Russian rockets to travel to space.
See the stellar pictures of the launch below:
Falcon 9 lifts off from historic Launch Complex 39A and sends Crew Dragon to orbit on its first flight with @NASA astronauts to the @space_station pic.twitter.com/UOoaKiQaFk
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 31, 2020
The launch was not without its challenges as the original launch date was delayed as a result of poor weather conditions.
According to SpaceX the flight with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley has finally returned human spaceflight to the United States.
Docking with the International Space Station is expected to take place at roughly 10:30am EDT on Sunday May 31.
The successful launch was the final step towards NASA certification for SpaceX and will usher in future missions to send astronauts to the International Space Station.
Watch the full launch below:
Picture: Twitter