CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Space station astronauts are taking a spacewalk to install a new door for visitors.
The two Americans aboard the International Space Station, Jeffrey Williams and Kate Rubins, ventured out Friday morning. Their job is to hook up a docking port that will be used by future commercial crew capsules. The SpaceX company delivered this new gateway last month.
Americans haven't rocketed into orbit from their home turf since NASA's last shuttle flight in 2011. SpaceX and Boeing expect to resume human launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in another year or two.
SpaceX is shooting for a launch of its supped-up Dragon with two astronauts a year from now. Boeing is aiming for a two-person test flight of its Starliner capsule in early 2018. Until then, Russia will keep providing all the rides.
