SpaceX is one step closer towards ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station, dubbed by many as the start of a ‘new era for human spaceflight.’
Elon Musk’s rocket company has completed the installation of a Crew Access Arm that will serve as a walkway for astronauts boarding the Crew Dragon capsule.
Four astronauts will walk across the futuristic bridge from a crew access tower at the historic 39A launchpad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the Dragon, which will blast them into space.
SpaceX shared images of the newly constructed Crew Access Arm on Twitter.
‘Crew access arm installed at Launch Complex 39A in Florida; will serve as a bridge for @NASA astronauts to board Crew Dragon,’ SpaceX said in a tweet.
The firm is aiming for its first crewed flight in April 2019, while an uncrewed test flight will take place in November 2018.
SpaceX’s crew flight test will be led by astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, with plans to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in April 2019.
Crew Dragon can hold up to seven astronauts at one time, but the manned mission will only include four men on board.
The Crew Dragon capsule will blast off from launchpad 39A atop a 230-feet-tall Falcon 9 rocket.
