Needham astronaut heading back to space on first commercial flights

Boeing Starliner

Nasa has named the astronauts who will fly the first missions into space on commercially provided rockets and capsules, starting next year.

If those missions go well, astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover will fly the first operational Crew Dragon flight to the International Space Station, while astronauts Sunita Williams and Josh Cassada will fly the first operational CST-100 Starliner mission. NASA director Jim Bridenstine says the agency has spent billions of dollars a year to reach this stage and there is no turning back.

In 2014, Boeing and SpaceX were awarded a combined $6.8 billion in contracts from NASA to develop spacecraft capable of flying crews to the space station.

"This is the stuff of dreams", Glover said Friday during an event at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

NASA announced the nine astronauts that will fly on the first crewed flights of SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft during a ceremony here at the agency's Johnson Space Center.

Boeing test pilot Chris Ferguson, who commanded NASA's last space shuttle mission in 2011, appears to be a sure thing for the first Starliner crew, based on advance reports. Behnken, Boe and Hurley have each flown two shuttle missions, logging four weeks in space apiece.

Of the 9 astronauts tapped to serve as crew members, all but 3 are space flight veterans.

"I'm just really excited we're going to be able to take these spacecraft and show them off to our global partners", Williams told the crowd. Similarly, the first Starliner is being now being outfitted for launch at Kennedy Space Center, and the test flight's Atlas V Centaur upper stage-never flown in the dual-engine configuration-ships to Florida in August. "I'll tell you, being able to launch to the International Space Station from US soil, I can't imagine better", Cassada said.

Only 40% of mothers breastfeed their babies, says expert
This new report called " Capture the Moment " shows that unlike recommended breastfeeding initiation is delayed in many babies. She attributes this to the increasing number of working women, who do not find it convenient to breastfeed their child.

The nine astronauts, most with previous experience in orbit, will ride the SpaceX Dragon and Boeing Starliner capsules to the International Space Station.

Now five years later, Cassada will become a part of history as he travels to space for the first time in commercial spacecrafts by Boeing and SpaceX. "We're returning to a full-capability ascent abort system to keep astronauts safe all the way through the profile, and that's something that the shuttle didn't have".

Crew for each flight will include at least a flight commander and a pilot. SpaceX aims to launch an uncrewed test flight in November of this year, with a Boeing test flight scheduled for late 2018 or early 2019. She was selected by NASA to be an astronaut in 2013.

Glover, a former Navy commander and test pilot, was also among the 2013 astronaut class.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon that will be used for Demo-1 arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in July. He has spent 166 days on the International Space Station for Expeditions 37/38, and conducted two spacewalks.

The Commercial Crew program, on the whole, has experienced numerous delays and budget shortfalls as Boeing and SpaceX work to bring crewed launches back to the U.S.

NASA seems confident these dates will hold, and that the commercial crew program is finally on the home stretch.

Related:

  • Alps plane crash: 20 feared dead after sightseeing flight smashes into mountain

    Alps plane crash: 20 feared dead after sightseeing flight smashes into mountain

    Police said a large rescue mission had been deployed to the scene of the crash, including five helicopters. The plane crashed in an inaccessible area of forest in the Rengg mountain pass in the canton of Nidwalden.
    China's Huawei eyes smartphone summit after passing Apple

    China's Huawei eyes smartphone summit after passing Apple

    Huawei was able to realize 54 million smartphones , while Apple sold only 41.3 million iPhone. In 2017 Huawei shipped 153 million smartphones which were 10% more than 2018.
    Chinese dissident in his 80s arrested at home during live TV interview

    Chinese dissident in his 80s arrested at home during live TV interview

    Sun asks the security officials: "Did I say anything wrong?" before going on to explain his criticisms of government policy. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Sun said , "If my rights are infringed then I have to fight back".
  • Johanna Konta loses to Elise Mertens at Silicon Valley Classic

    Johanna Konta loses to Elise Mertens at Silicon Valley Classic

    She won four straight games in the second set to put pressure on Collins, and ultimately evened the match with a forehand victor . The 30-year-old will next face the victor of the match between eighth seed Yulia Putintseva and Svetlana Kuznetsova .
    Scientists detect mystery radio signal sent from DEEP SPACE

    Scientists detect mystery radio signal sent from DEEP SPACE

    The question that remains is uncovering where these signals have come from, with many possible theories being thrown into the mix. A quick burst, was now - it was called FRB 180725A especially unique, as was discovered on a fairly low purity of 580 MHz.

    Donald Trump insults LeBron James' intelligence: 'I like Mike'

    After throwing insults at both men, Trump also mentioned that he likes "Mike", which is nearly certainly a reference to Jordan. James spoke to Lemon from the public, non-charter school he opened for at-risk kids in Akron, called the I Promise school.
  • July U.S. Unemployment Rate Falls To 3.9 Percent

    July U.S. Unemployment Rate Falls To 3.9 Percent

    Nonbank mortgage lenders and brokers employed 345,400 people during the month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Average hourly earnings were up 2.7% year-to-year during the month for production and nonsupervisory employees.
    Man United reportedly move for €55m Bayern defender

    Man United reportedly move for €55m Bayern defender

    German newspaper BILD report United are looking to swap Martial for Bayern centre-back Jerome Boateng . Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford travelled with Manchester United's squad to Germany.
    Keys joins San Jose exodus — WTA roundup

    Keys joins San Jose exodus — WTA roundup

    I can't help how I am", the third-seeded Williams said when asked if she would continue with the new on-court demeanor. Open where she lost to fellow American Sloane Stephens, is ranked 12 in the world and was the second seed in San Jose.
  • Police called on black student eating lunch at Smith College

    Police called on black student eating lunch at Smith College

    The woman who has identified herself as the student posted on Facebook that it was outrageous she couldn't eat her lunch in peace. Hunter also said she has reached out to Kanoute to "offer support and discuss next steps" following the incident.
    Manchester City chase visa for Douglas Luiz amid transfer frustration

    Manchester City chase visa for Douglas Luiz amid transfer frustration

    The team needed cover after Yaya Toure left and Pep said, of Douglas: "I think he has the potential to play with us". Luiz was a key figure as Chelsea won the 2016-17 Premier League title in Antonio Conte's first season as head coach.
    Cristiano Ronaldo in apparent social media snub to Real Madrid

    Cristiano Ronaldo in apparent social media snub to Real Madrid

    And Ramos' preferential treatment is reportedly not going down well with his fellow colleagues per Spanish outlet Marca . Spanish contingent Isco, Marco Asensio , Lucas Vasquez and Nacho came back on July 25th following their Russian venture.

Comments

Latest news

Magnitude seven quake strikes near Lombok
In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 quake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. A magnitude 7.0 quake struck off the north coast of Indonesia's island of Lombok on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said.

Three foreign nationals abducted, killed in Afghanistan's Kabul
Police officer Jan Aga said the three worked as cooks at Kabul airport and were of Indian, Malaysian and Macedonian nationality. Both insurgents and criminal groups have been behind kidnapping of foreigners in the past in Kabul .

Major natural disaster rocks Lombok island
Other witnesses said the quake got stronger over several seconds and rattled windows and doors in their frames. Michelle Lindsay, an Australian tourist, told the paper: "All the hotel guests were running so I did too".

'Mission: Impossible - Fallout' Is A Hit, Could Turn Superhit
As per data agency SensorTower, PUBG Mobile dominates Asia and China because the game is available on Android and iOS as well. Players can also exchange themed items for Mission: Impossible - Fallout outfits to use during the promotional campaign.

Successfully bioengineered pig lungs may revolutionize organ transplants
The study was meant to assess how well the bioengineered lungs adapted and continued to mature within a large, living body. Because of this, many scientists have tried to create bioengineered lungs, although without notable success until now.

U.S. court orders Trump administration to fully reinstate DACA program
They shut down the government, but backed off when public opinion began to swing against them. The court says that if DHS wishes to end the program, it must give a rational explanation .

New Mandatory Evacuation Ordered In Lake County
The fire burned slowly for days before winds suddenly whipped it up last week and drove it furiously through brush and timber. Workers who live in Yosemite's popular Valley region were ordered to leave on Friday because of inaccessible roads.

Trade war costs China its stock market ranking
In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2% from the central parity rate each trading day. More than 2,400 stocks fell on the two bourses, with combined turnover at 284.8 billion yuan (about 41.4 billion USA dollars).

Rafa Benitez still seeking added competition for Newcastle squad
Rafael Benitez is one of the most likable men in football. "Shut up Rafa - or walk - which is your right", he wrote. Sam Allardyce also gave his opinion on the situation at his former club earlier today.

Travis Scott Drops 3 Unreleased Tracks on .WAV RADIO
Me and Lachappelle set out tooo (sic) create images that i grew up watching him create for years that inspire me today. Later, Travis Scott posted that same cover to his own Instagram, but with Lepore and only Lepore removed.

How do Druze Israelis view the 'nation-state' law?
The same way we fight for the existence of the state, we are determined to fight for the right to live in equality and dignity. The Druze, a religious sect spread throughout Israel, Lebanon and Syria, make up a subset of Israel's Arab population.

Foodora to cease Australian operations
That case is shaping up as a major test case for all so-called "gig economy" employers, including rivals Deliveroo and UberEats. Food delivery giant Foodora has today confirmed it is exiting the country, in order to concentrate on markets overseas.

Jerry Rice says he'd definitely take Terrell Owens over Randy Moss
I have made a lot of mistakes, but that's what happens when you start a professional football career at 22 years old. If you had the chills after Randy Moss's Hall of Fame speech on Saturday night, well, you're not the only one.

Steve Jobs' 'secret' daughter writes memoir about their troubled relationship
You'd think someone as loaded as Jobs would concede to this request, but if you did, then you don't know much about Steve Jobs . Lisa had told her friends about her namesake, but to her dismay, they hadn't heard about Apple's Lisa.

Alderweireld tells Spurs: Let me join Man Utd!
Alderweireld has entered the final 12 months of his contract but Tottenham are demanding in excess of £60m for his signature.

Other news

Copyright © 2015. All Rights reserved - Current Hollywood