Focus: GS-III Science and Technology, Prelims
Why in news?
SpaceX delivered two astronauts to the International Space Station for Nasa on 31st May, following up a historic liftoff with an equally smooth docking.
Significance
- It was the first time a privately built and owned spacecraft carried astronauts to the orbiting lab in its nearly 20 years.
- Nasa considers this the opening volley in a business revolution encircling Earth and eventually stretching to the moon and Mars.
- SpaceX’s Dragon capsule pulled up to the station and docked automatically, no assistance needed.
- The Dragon test pilots will join the one US and two Russian station residents in performing experiments and possibly spacewalks to install fresh station batteries.
-Source: Times of India
