NASA Gears up for Commercial Space Flight Programme

NASA has named 4 astronauts to embark on the first test flights of SpaceX and Boeing’s commercial crew spacecraft

(Photo: Reuters)

NASA has officially named the four astronauts who will embark on the first test flights of SpaceX and Boeing’s commercial crew spacecraft.

Astronauts Bob Behnken, Eric Boe, Doug Hurley and Sunita Williams will train with the companies’ own test pilots for the maiden voyages of the Dragon crew capsule and the CST-100.

Astronauts Bob Behnken, Eric Boe, Doug Hurley and Sunita Williams (Courtesy: NASA)

All four astronauts have prior spaceflight experience, having flown on the Space Shuttle to the International Space Station. Boe and Hurley were both pilots, while Behnken and Williams were mission specialists. Hurley served on the last shuttle mission, STS-135.