NASA and SpaceX set first astronaut launch for mid-May despite pandemic

NASA and SpaceX announced late on Wednesday that their Demonstration Mission 2 commercial crew launch that would take astronauts to space has been scheduled for mid to late May.

Earlier in 2020, TechCrunch reported that the launch would occur some time between April and June depending on the preparedness of the spacecraft and crew.

This will be the first time ever that astronauts fly aboard a SpaceX spacecraft and the first crewed mission for the commercial crew program.

NASA and SpaceX have not considered a change to the timing of their first crewed Dragon mission regardless of the current coronavirus pandemic and the implementation of strict social distancing and isolation measures.

Employees of America's national space agency are on mandatory telework unless they’re required to be physically present in office for mission-related activity.

The agency is also taking extra precautions to protect astronauts Hurley and Behnken, in addition to standard isolation procedures already in place to prevent them from getting sick ahead of a spaceflight mission.