Flawless SpaceX launch with 4 astronauts from Kennedy Space Center in Florida

Just before dawn, a SpaceX rocket carrying four astronauts launched toward the International Space Station, a success that is making spaceflight seem routine.

The Crew-2 mission is the third to carry people to the station by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company. It’s a continuation of an effort by NASA to turn over to the private sector the business of taking people to low-Earth orbit. The mission is carrying two Americans, one Japanese and one French astronaut, who will spend six months at the space station.