A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is raised into a vertical position on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A.
NASA/Bill Ingalls
Wendy Whitman Cobb, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies
SpaceX's launch of astronauts to the International Space Station will make it the first private company to launch humans to space. The effort has ramifications for NASA and spaceflight in general.
This second era of space exploration will include a diverse corp of astronauts.
studiostoks/Shutterstock.com
The new era of space exploration is characterized by an emphasis on diversity and international cooperation. But there's a lot of work to do before there's gender equality in STEM fields and at NASA.
NASA is making a new effort to encourage women to pursue STEM careers.
Khakimullin Aleksandr/Shutterstock.com
Wendy Whitman Cobb, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies
NASA has made significant steps in making explicit appeals to women to support space exploration, but it might not be doing enough to gather needed political support.