Two lucky astronauts will put on the fancy SpaceX black and white spacesuits as preparations are made for the SpaceX Dragon launch. The new craft will probably for launch in 2020, with test flights taking place this year. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have been shortlisted for the project.
The two astronauts will probably perform the first official voyage of the Dragon capsule. This has been scheduled to fly to the International Space Station (ISS). The project has used the existing cargo capsule and modified it for manned use.
The cargo capsule has been developed for NASA to ferry supplies to the ISS. One part of the manned flight to the space station will be the fitting of the spacesuits. These will also be an important factor in the testing of the craft.
SpaceX training event
A training event has been recently held at SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California. The event has been planned to further NASA operations that involve sending a manned mission to the ISS. The two chosen astronauts were called to conduct tests and simulations.
The briefing that took place at SpaceX put everyone involved in the project on the same playing field when it comes to mission operation and craft functionality. Conducting a dry run of the mission and its challenges.
Difficult times for astronauts ahead
During the dry run, astronauts have been fitted with the future space suits to test for mobility, leaks, and any possible damage. SpaceX personnel performed a vigorous inspection of the suits and photographs were taken of the event.
The astronauts have performed a series of emergency simulations at the facility. The two men will have many tests in their path before they can be cleared for the mission. Both SpaceX and NASA will be conducting several safety and performance tests on the craft and the astronauts themselves.
