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SCIENCE Tuesday 2 June 2020
SpaceX captures the flag, beating Boeing in cosmic contest

sion could last anywhere
from one to four months.
The timing will depend on
Dragon checkouts in orbit
and launch preparations
for the company's next
astronaut flight, currently
targeted for the end of Au-
gust.
With so much uncertainty
and so many variables,
Behnken said it was a little
hard explaining to his son
when he'd back.
"From his perspective, he's
just excited that we're go-
ing to get a dog when I get
home," Behnken said with
a smile.q

In this image provided by NASA, the SpaceX Dragon crew capsule, with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken aboard,
docks with the International Space Station Sunday, May 31, 2020.
Associated Press

By MARCIA DUNN The flag flew on the first An estimated 100,000 peo- the force of Earth's gravity
AP Aerospace Writer space shuttle flight in 1981 ple — suppliers, vendors, — to zero gravity as soon as
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. and the final one in 2011. engineers, etc. — were they reached orbit.
(AP) — The first astronauts Hurley was on that last shut- responsible for Saturday's "Sounds like the ultimate
launched by SpaceX de- tle crew. flawless launch of test pi- ride in a Batmobile with the
clared victory Monday in The flag was an added lots Hurley and Behnken jet engine turned on," Reed
NASA's cosmic capture- incentive for Elon Musk's aboard a SpaceX Falcon said.
the-flag game. SpaceX company and 9 rocket from Kennedy Behnken said one of the
They quickly claimed the Boeing, competing to be Space Center. The Drag- first things he did upon
prize left behind at the the first private company on capsule, also built and reaching the orbiting lab
International Space Sta- to launch a crew to the owned by SpaceX, docked was call his 6-year-old son,
tion nearly a decade ago space station. Saturday's at the space station Sun- Theo, to hear what is was
by the last crew to launch liftoff of NASA astronauts day. like to watch his father blast
from the U.S. was the first from the U.S. "It's awe-inspiring for all of into space "and share that
"Congratulations, SpaceX, in nine years. Boeing's first us," SpaceX manager Benji a little bit with him while it
you got the flag," NASA as- astronaut flight isn't ex- Reed told the astronauts was still fresh in his mind."
tronaut Doug Hurley said pected until next year. The from Hawthorne. Hurley and Behnken spent
a day after arriving at the crew will include Chris Fer- Reed asked them about Monday making sure their
space station. guson, commander of the the Falcon ride. Hurley said docked Dragon is ready
Hurley showed off the small last shuttle flight who now he could feel when the to make an emergency
U.S. flag during a news works for Boeing. rocket went transonic and getaway, if necessary. The
conference and again in a "Proud to yield the title of broke the sound barrier. The capsule will serve as their
linkup with SpaceX head- "The last commander of an final push to orbit, on the lifeboat during their space
quarters in Hawthorne, Cal- American launched space- second stage, was full of station visit. They joined
ifornia. craft" to @Astro_Doug who, vibrations and felt like "driv- three station residents —
"You can bet we will take with @AstroBehnken, has ing fast, very fast on a grav- an American and two Rus-
it with us when we depart returned US to space from el road," he said. The astro- sians.
back to Earth," said Hurley, KSC after 3,252 days. Well nauts instantly went from NASA will decide in the
floating alongside Dragon done," Ferguson tweeted pulling more than three G's coming weeks how long to
crewmate Bob Behnken. following the SpaceX liftoff. — more than three times keep them there. Their mis-