MERRITT ISLAND, Florida A SpaceX rocket and spacecraft carrying two NASA astronauts soared into outer space Saturday marking the first time humans have traveled into Earth's orbit from US soil in nearly a decade. The United States hasn't launched its own astronauts into space since the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011. SpaceX has been working on the Crew Dragon spacecraft for 15 years. The launch of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft has moved forward despite the Covid-19 pandemic, which has shuttered both private and government operations across the US. Bridenstine, for example, hopes to rely heavily on private-sector partnerships to accomplish the space agency's ambitious goal of landing US astronauts on the moon in 2024.

(AP) A rocket ship built by Elon Musks SpaceX company thundered away from Earth with two Americans on Saturday, ushering in a new era of commercial space travel and putting NASA back in the business of launching astronauts from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly a decade. The flight had been delayed three days because of stormy weather in Florida. The two astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station on Sunday for a stay of up to four months. Here are photos from the historic moment. For in-app users, please use this link to view the gallery.