1st private space crew paying $55M each to fly to station
FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows SpaceX's Dragon undocking from International Space Station on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ The first private space station crew was introduced Tuesday: Three men who are each paying $55 million to fly on a SpaceX rocket. โThis is the first private flight to the International Space Station. Russia has been in the off-the-planet tourism business for years, selling rides to the International Space Station since 2001. Lopez-Alegria, a former space station resident and spacewalking leader, called the group a โcollection of pioneers."
Worldโs space achievements a bright spot in stressful 2020
The European and Russian space agencies skipped the 2020 Mars launch window, their life-sniffing Mars rover grounded until 2022 because of technical issues and COVID-19 restrictions. Three weeks later, SpaceX launched its biggest cargo shipment yet to the space station for NASA. If the repairs work and the capsule finally reaches the space station, the first Starliner astronauts could be flying by summer. The actor was in talks with NASA this year about filming a movie at the space station. โWhatever else can be said about the four years of the Trump administration, they have been positive for the U.S. civilian space program,โ noted John Logsdon, professor emeritus at George Washington Universityโs Space Policy Institute.