NASA has ordered more manned flight from SpaceX and Boeing – although neither company has   really started man launches yet .

The two party are contracted by NASA to launch human beings into scope in the next twain of geezerhood . SpaceX will be doing this with a crewed version of its successful Dragon vehicle , which has been take lading to the International Space Station ( ISS ) for the last few old age . Boeing , meanwhile , is acquire an exclusively new vehicle – the CST-100 Starliner .

Both have been delayed , however , with launches originally scheduled to begin by this yr . Now , they ’re direct for 2018 at the earliest . This has n’t intercept NASA from cementing the role they will play in succeeding man space geographic expedition , though . Four additional deputation have been awarded to each troupe as part of the Commercial Crew Program ( CCP ) , pay them a total of six NASA - sanctioned launches each .

" Awarding these mission now will put up great constancy for the future space post crew revolution schedule , as well as cut down docket and fiscal uncertainty for our providers , " said Phil McAlister , director of NASA ’s Commercial Spaceflight Development Division , in astatement . “ The ability to turn on missions as needed to gather the need of the space place program is an significant aspect of the Commercial Crew Program . ”

The spacecraft will be used to take astronaut to the ISS , with each capable to carry up to seven people – although only four will be taken initially . Even this is more than Russia ’s Soyuz ballistic capsule , which can take just three multitude on each flight of stairs . Each commercial-grade military mission will also take lively cargo to the post .

At the mo , SpaceXis targetingan uncrewed test of its Crew Dragon vehicle in November 2017 , with a bunch take flight for the first fourth dimension in May 2018 – the first man launch from American ground since Space Shuttle Atlantis on July 8 , 2011 . Boeing , meanwhile , will do their first remote-controlled examination in June 2018 , and a crewed flight in August 2018 .

This mean that , in a yoke of years , there will be four ballistic capsule in surgical procedure capable of claim humans to orbit – Soyuz , Starliner , Dragon , and China ’s Shenzhou . NASA hope to follow suit with its own bass space Orion fomite in 2021 , andBlue Originhas its eye on transmit mass to space shortly too . Not bad .