NASA Gives First Orders to SpaceX for Crewed Mission to ISS
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(NEW YORK) — SpaceX is set to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time.
According to a statement from NASA on Friday, the Elon Musk-founded private company will fly the mission sometime in late 2017.
Boeing is also taking part in the manned commercial space flight venture and received its crew mission order in May.
Earlier in 2015, a SpaceX mission ended in flames nearly 2 minutes after the launch while it was carrying critical hardware to the space station.
NASA said new missions will not happen until safety and equipment is verified for both SpaceX and Boeing. SpaceX will first need to launch a commercial payload and Boeing will have to perform a similar test run as well.
If all goes according to plan and SpaceX and Boeing pass certification, flights will take place on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing’s CST-100.
“The authority to proceed with Dragon’s first operational crew mission is a significant milestone in the Commercial Crew Program and a great source of pride for the entire SpaceX team,” said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating office of SpaceX in a statement. “When Crew Dragon takes NASA astronauts to the space station in 2017, they will be riding in one of the safest, most reliable spacecraft ever flown. We’re honored to be developing this capability for NASA and our country.”
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