TAMPA, Fla. -- Houston, we have liftoff.
Well, we will in May, according to NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.
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Bridenstine announced on Friday that on May 27 SpaceX will launch astronauts from American soil for the first time since 2011.
Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurleyon will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral.
The mission is part of the agency's Crew Commercial Program.
BREAKING: On May 27, @NASA will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil! With our @SpaceX partners, @Astro_Doug and @AstroBehnken will launch to the @Space_Station on the #CrewDragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Let's #LaunchAmerica 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RINb3mfRWI
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) April 17, 2020
In February, NASA confirmed that SpaceX would be the first to launch astronauts from U.S. soil since 2011.
Behnken and Hurleyon will stay at the International Space Station for an extended time, according to NASA. The exact duration of the mission is not determined.
