Successful Liftoff: NASA, SpaceX launches 4 astronauts to the International Space Station

SpaceX’s Crew-2 is headed for the International Space Station after a successful pre-dawn launch on Friday. The Falcon 9 rocket thundered into the morning sky from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:49 a.m. ET. "I couldn't be more proud of the Commercial Crew Program, and the SpaceX team, and the NASA team and what they've been able to do to enable reliable, safe, effective transportation to and from station," Acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk said at a press conference earlier this week. The mission marks SpaceX’s third crewed flight in partnership with NASA, following its previous launch Crew-1 and Demo-2 missions. The launch also marks the first time that SpaceX reuses a rocket and a capsule for a mission.