On May 30, 2020, SpaceX and Nasa launched the Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket with two astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, to the International Space Station (ISS). The historic milestone is the first flight into orbit of American astronauts on American rockets from American soil since the end of the space shuttle era in 2011.The fully televised launch even included footage from the Dragon capsule and Falcon 9ís landing on the droneship, ìOf Course I Still Love You.î A launch of this magnitude hasn’t been seen since the first launch of the space shuttle on April 12, 1981.The Space Shuttle program ended in 2011, after the completion of the International Space Station, plagued by long increasing expenses. From nationalgeographic.com, ìThe United States began buying seats on Russiaís Soyuz spacecraft. Per seat, ëThey originally charged about $20 million, and the prices have gone up since then,í said Bill Berry, NASAís chief historian. Today, NASA pays as much as $90 million per astronaut.î The increasing prices open the door to privately owned companies, like SpaceX or Boeing, to participate in NASAís Commercial Crew Development program ó a partnership with NASA.The majority of the launch cost comes from building the rocket, which historically flies only once, according to SpaceX.com. Falcon 9 (named after the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars) is a reusable, two-stage rocket manufactured by SpaceX to bring both people and payloads (cargo) into space. It has 85 total launches, 46 landings and 32 reflown rockets. While most rockets burn up on their way back to Earth, the Falcon 9 withstands reentry, can autonomously land and refly again. There are three rockets in the Falcon family: Falcon 1, Falcon 9, and Falcon Heavy ó the most powerful rocket in the world.The Dragon capsule is the first private spacecraft to take humans to the space station as demonstrated on the May 30 launch. Prior to the manned mission, Dragon has had 23 total launches, 22 visits to the International Space Station and nine reflown missions. SpaceX.com states that the capsule is capable of carrying up to seven passengers, and is the only spacecraft currently flying that is able to return significant amounts of cargo to Earth.The launch of the Dragon capsule and the Falcon 9 rocket is only the beginning. The Artemis program will be sending the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024. In Greek mythology, Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo the sun god. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and one of her symbols was the moon.NASA Administrator, Jim Bridenstine said, ìMany have asked why weíre focused on sending the first woman. And I often say because it is about time! Our astronauts represent the best of us, and to do so, we must be able to see ourselves among them.îHow is Artemis different from the Apollo missions? According to the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center, Episode 116, hosted by Gary Jordan, ìWe were in the middle of a Cold War with the Soviet Union, not to mention the hot war in Vietnam, and though there were many interested in the value of exploration and discovery, the driving force was really political in nature. And that driving force defined the parameters of the Apollo mission’s structure. We had to put a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth by the end of the decade, those were the driving political forces that put speed at the forefront. This meant that the spot that you would land would be ëthe easiest,í the trip would be short so you didn’t have to bring a lot with you, and that you didn’t have to focus too hard on the longevity of the program.îJordan also said in the podcast that the Artemis program is designed for more exploratory, scientific and longer missions on the moon. NASA has plans for at least three Artemis missions. The first will be an unmanned test flight; and, as of this month, it is expected to launch in November 2021. Artemis II will be the first manned flight beyond Low Earth Orbit in 50 years and targeted to launch in 2022. Last, NASA hopes to land on the moon with Artemis III by 2024, Jordan said.Space could be the new frontier for the United States military operations. This includes the creation of a new branch within the Air Forceó the Space Force.From a global topic to a local connection, there are opportunities for students interested in space and/or aviation. Falcon AeroLab is a project based on the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program, which offers unique opportunities for students in sixth to 12th grade to experience the excitement of flight through hands-on labs and activities. It is a tuition-free, homeschool, enrichment program with locations throughout Colorado. Local students can attend Falcon Aerolabs classes at the Falcon Legacy Campus and the Meadowlake Airport. The Space Discovery class is held at the Colorado Military Academy next to Peterson Air Force Base.From falconaerolabs.org, ìOur Instructors are highly qualified professionals straight from the industry. These include: engineers, managers, military and airline pilots, drone operators, cyber experts and more. Their cumulative experience and expertise gives students an extraordinary insight.î Mark Hyatt, the CEO, has served as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, squadron commander, and has advised the Secretary of Defense, current White House Administration and previous president on school choice, safety, social climate and culture issues.To learn more about Falcon Aerolabs visit falconaerolabs.org or email hyattfalcon@gmail.com.
