10/08/2026
When Space Shuttle Atlantis landed in July 2011, NASA's Space Shuttle programme came to an end after 30 years of service.
From that moment, the United States no longer had its own spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts into orbit.
For nearly nine years, NASA astronauts travelled to the International Space Station aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft while a new generation of American spacecraft was developed.
Then, on 30th May 2020, everything changed.
With Doug Hurley as commander, SpaceX Demo-2 became the first crewed orbital launch from American soil since the Shuttle era, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in human spaceflight.
This November, you'll have the opportunity to hear Doug tell the story of both missions, and what it was like to stand at the end of one era and the beginning of another.
🎟️ Tickets: https://thearmchairastronaut.co.uk/doug-hurley
Do you remember where you were when SpaceX Demo-2 launched?
