SpaceX is preparing to launch astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for the second time, a feat that moves private launches of crew into space from a novelty to a regular event. The Crew Dragon spacecraft is expected to launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket on 15 November.

The capsule will be carrying four astronauts: three from NASA, and one from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) – the first astronaut from one of NASA’s international partners to fly with SpaceX. Once they get to the ISS, their …