GREEN SPACE
Nasa reveals custom Tesla sports car that will ferry astronauts to first crewed US rocket launch in almost a decade
NASA has unveiled the Tesla car that will be taking US astronauts to a rocket launch later this month.
Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine revealed images of the car in a recent tweet.
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The car is set to play a fairly important role in the first crewed launch to take off from US soil in years.
The last launch from US soil took place over nine years ago.
Nasa's fancy astronaut ferrying car features the famous logo for the space agency and its name written in red on the back.
It will be driving the astronauts to their rocket on May 27.
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Bridenstine tweeted: "Here’s some Tesla news that everyone should love.
"Check out the Model X that will carry @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug to the launchpad for the Demo-2 mission! #LaunchAmerica."
Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be blasting off on the mission from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US.
It will be the first time that Nasa astronauts have taken a car to the launch to then take off from Earth.
Elon Musk's SpaceX has designed the rocket and spacecraft for this mission.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft will take off on a Falcon 9 rocket so the astronauts can test out an extended stay at the International Space Station.
This is being referred to as the Demo-2 mission.
Nasa explained: “Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A atop a specially instrumented Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon will accelerate its two passengers to approximately 17,000 mph and put it on an intercept course with the International Space Station.
"Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control system, the displays and control system and the maneuvering thrusters, among other things.
“In about 24 hours, Crew Dragon will be in position to rendezvous and dock with the space station.
“The spacecraft is designed to do this autonomously but astronauts aboard the spacecraft and the station will be diligently monitoring approach and docking and can take control of the spacecraft if necessary.”
What is the ISS?
Here's what you need to know about the International Space Station...
- The International Space Station, often abbreviated to ISS, is a large space craft that orbits Earth and houses astronauts who go up there to complete scientific missions
- Many countries worked together to build it and they work together to use it
- It is made up of many pieces, which astronauts had to send up individually on rockets and put together from 1998 to 2000
- Ever since the year 2000, people have lived on the ISS
- Nasa uses the ISS to learn about living and working in space
- It is approximately 250 miles above Earth and orbits around the planet just like a satellite
- Living inside the ISS is said to be like living inside a big house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym, lots of science labs and a big bay window for viewing Earth
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In other news, incredible photos of eerie Martian landscapes have been released online by scientists.
Brits took stunning snaps of Starlink satellites passing over the UK in April.
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And, Nasa astronauts will launch into space from US soil this month for the first time in nearly a decade.
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