NASA and SpaceX open a new chapter in human space flight

摘要

AS THE U.S. DESCENDED INTO ONE OF ITS darkest chapters in recent history, with more than 100,000 Americans dead from the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment levels not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s and widespread protests over police brutality and racism, NASA kicked off a space mission that may become as iconic as the Apollo Moon landing more than 50 years ago.The success of the new endeavor will be measured not only by its technological achievement-namely restoring U.S. capability to launch astronauts into orbit-but also by its endurance. By partnering with private companies, NASA seeks to build human exploration and space transportation programs that, unlike Apollo, will never end.Toward that goal, NASA found kindred spirits in two distinct industries: the fast-paced tech world enshrined by SpaceX and the steadfast aerospace domain of Boeing. Bolstered by about $8 billion of taxpayer money, the companies took the lead in designing, developing, testing and ultimately flying low-Earth-orbit (LEO) transportation systems for astronauts and other travelers.