SpaceX, NASA send 4 astronauts to space in milestone commercial flight

The Crew-1 mission marks a crucial milestone in the development of a space industry in which private-sector companies provide business and tourism services in low-earth orbit

Four astronauts reached orbit on a SpaceX rocket after lifting off at 7:27 pm from Florida, in the company’s first regular NASA mission to the International Space Station.

The Sunday launch appeared to go as planned as the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The rocket’s first stage successfully landed on a drone ship about nine minutes after lift off.

The Dragon will ferry the astronauts to the space station on SpaceX’s first operational trip following a test flight with a two-person crew that returned from the orbiting lab three months ago. The latest launch, known