Washington (AFP)
US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he plans to travel to Florida next week to witness the resumption of U.S. human spaceflight after nine years of hiatus.
"I am considering going there," said Trump, who was interviewed about the planned launch of the Covid-19 pandemic on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center.
"I hope you will all come with me," he added, amused, to reporters who questioned him in the White House gardens. "I would like to put you in the rocket to get rid of you for a while."
Two NASA astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, will unveil SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, tested with a mannequin last year, but never with humans on board.
A Falcon 9 rocket from the space company founded by Elon Musk will orbit the capsule, which will then dock with the ISS where two Russians and one American are currently located.
The launch on May 27 will be without the usual audience, due to the pandemic.
© 2020 AFP