One last crucial step. The Crew Dragon capsule docked this Sunday afternoon with the International Space Station (ISS).
After having dazzled a world weaned from space conquest in recent years when the Falcon 9 rocket took off on Saturday evening, the Crew Dragon capsule succeeded in a delicate maneuver, because everything was played within a few centimeters.
Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will then be able to enter the International Space Station, placed in orbit 408 km from Earth. Before that, it will indeed be necessary to pressurize the vestibule which links the two vessels. The opening of the hatch between the ISS and the SpaceX module is scheduled by NASA at 6:45 p.m. (French time), before the welcoming ceremony between the new arrivals and the station occupants at 7:15 p.m. Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will then live four months on the International Space Station.
The operation, carried out by SpaceX and its whimsical CEO Elon Musk, is a historic moment: it is the first shipment in space of astronauts by a private company. A giant step which opens up important perspectives for the continuation of the space conquest.
VIDEO. SpaceX: relive the historic takeoff of the Crew Dragon capsule