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SpaceX’s astronaut launch marks a milestone for commercial spaceflight

It’s also the first mission to send humans into orbit from the U.S. since NASA stopped in 2011

Falcon 9 launch

In the first crewed launch of a spacecraft from the United States since the shuttle program ended in 2011, two NASA astronauts lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 30.

NASA

By Lisa Grossman

- More than 2 years ago

Updated

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

For the first time, humans are hurtling into Earth’s orbit on a commercial rocket.