SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket takes off in Florida on November 15, 2020. -

FLORIDA TODAY-USA TODAY Network

It is done.

After a postponement on Saturday, SpaceX is well on its way to space.

Three American astronauts and a Japanese flew Sunday from Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard NASA's new means of space transportation.

Only a problem with the climate control system in the passenger compartment occurred but was quickly resolved.

All in good time

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket took off on schedule from the Kennedy Space Center with Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi strapped to the capsule attached to the top.

The takeoff, in the evening, illuminated the entire Florida coast.

The first stage detached quickly before returning to land on a drone ship, SpaceX's trademark.

Twelve minutes after takeoff, at an altitude of 200 km and a speed of 27,000 km / h, the capsule itself broke off from the second stage.

Liftoff!

pic.twitter.com/Unf1ScdVFB

- SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 16, 2020

SpaceX confirmed it was on the right orbit to join the ISS just over 27 hours later, around 5 a.m. on Tuesday (in France).

The astronauts will meet there two Russians and an American, and will stay there six months, spinning around the Earth at 400 km above the oceans.

SpaceX briefly broadcast live images of the interior of the device showing the astronauts in their seats, which neither the Russians nor the Americans did before.

A tweet contest

As European astronaut Thomas Pesquet tweeted, the first stage of the rocket will be reused for the mission that will take him and three teammates in spring 2021 to the station.

“NASA was a disaster when we took matters into our own hands.

Today it is the most popular and most advanced space center in the world, by far!

President Donald Trump also tweeted.

The man who will replace him in January, Joe Biden, also congratulated Nasa and SpaceX on the social network.

"It is proof of the power of science and of what we can accomplish by combining innovation, inventiveness and determination", according to the President-elect Democrat.

Science

With its nano-satellites, Unseenlabs tracks down sea thugs from space

Science

China announces launch of first 6G satellite into space

  • Nasa

  • ISS

  • Space

  • SpaceX

  • Science