WASHINGTON • Mr Elon Musk's SpaceX will send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time in May, US space agency Nasa said, announcing the first crewed launch from the United States to the space platform since 2011.

The tech entrepreneur's company will launch a Falcon 9 rocket to transport the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in a first for the space agency as it looks to cut costs.

"Nasa and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than mid-to late May for launch," Nasa said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Musk's Crew Dragon capsule had previously made a round trip to the ISS - which is in orbit more than 400km above Earth - with a mannequin on board, before returning to the Atlantic Ocean after six days in space.

Since the last US space shuttle mission in 2011, only the Russians have been going back and forth to the ISS. SpaceX has made the trip 15 times since 2012, but only to refuel the station.

It is not the only private company servicing Nasa: Boeing has also won a contract and is developing its own Starliner capsule.

On Wednesday, SpaceX also launched its sixth batch of 60 Starlink satellites into space, in an effort to build a 12,000-strong satellite network capable of providing broadband Internet services.

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellites were launched from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre in Brevard County, Florida.

The Starlink satellite network is aimed at delivering high-speed broadband Internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive or completely unavailable.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, XINHUA