It’s somewhat remarkable to think that it’s been nearly 10 years now since a rocket launched in America with the distinct purpose of putting astronauts into space. With the growing anticipation and hopes surrounding Elon Musk’s SpaceX project, however, it seems that the wait may (finally) be coming to an end.
Just how quickly will it happen though? Well, in a report via CNET, SpaceX is reportedly targeting to launch a manned flight into space by as early as this May!
SpaceX Want to Launch Astronauts into Space by May
Speaking in an interview, SpaceX Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell has that that, in terms of putting astronauts into space, the company is “gunning for May”. This is a lot sooner than many might have expected, but it will (if successful) likely be very welcome news to NASA.
Why? Well, since the Columbia disaster back in 2003 the organization has been looking (with limited funding) to create their next-generation of designs. This has, however, been a much slower process than most expected. As such, to get Americans into space, NASA has largely had to ‘charter’ flights off Russian Soyuz vehicles. With ‘free spaces’ being nearly booked to capacity, however, alternatives are desperately needed!
What Do We Think?
Can SpaceX get astronauts into space by May? It certainly seems like a lofty goal. Particularly when you note that this is only 2 months away. If it does happen, however, the good news is that it will probably be live-streamed. As such, for many people, this will be one of the most remarkable space-travel related events for quite some time!
We will, of course, keep you posted. Rest assured though, if this does happen we’ll have the news (and the popcorn) ready!
What do you think? Do you think this can be achieved by May? – Let us know in the comments!
