With the return of the first SpaceX Crew Dragon on August 2, 2020, SpaceX and NASA are already working on plans for the next monumental mission. On July 28, 2020, the four-member crew for the second SpaceX Crew Dragon mission was announced. Some members of the journey are astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur. Joining them will be European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aikiho Hoshide as the expedition’s mission specialists. When the mission launches, the crew is expected to spend six months doing an expedition mission on The International Space Station. The partnership between SpaceX and NASA for this next mission comes with a price tag of a staggering $2.6 billion. On top of a second mission, SpaceX is planning a third Crew Dragon mission for some time in 2021.
The third SpaceX missions will see three American astronauts join the fray. Astronauts Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins, and Shannon Walker will be joining Japan’s Soichi Noguchi. Crew-1 will be the first fully operational spaceflight by SpaceX. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said he hopes to bring tourists to The International Space Station someday.
SpaceX and NASA personnel must now control their crew from the spiking SARS-CoV-2 cases across Florida, especially with the upcoming missions. The next two journeys will include more crew members to go and stay at the ISS. Without the men’s bravery on the Demo-2, it would be unknown if missions with more members could be done. One of the reasons for further crews going is for maintenance of the International Space Station.
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