NASA has set an official date for the first human launch from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.
The agency said Friday it will send astronauts to the International Space Station on May 27. The crew will fly aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, and will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will be the first launch of NASA astronauts from the U.S. since the shutdown of its Space Shuttle Program in 2011.
The launch will also be SpaceX's first crewed mission and serve as the final test for its human spaceflight system before NASA certifies it for "operational, long-duration missions to the space station." It's unclear how long the crew will remain in space, but NASA said that will be determined once they reach the station.
To mark the occasion, NASA will adorn the rocket with the retro "worm" logo, marking the graphic's first appearance since the agency retired it in 1992.
