Well, 2019 might be the year when American astronauts would be ready to set off for the orbit from American soil; thereby, bringing an end to an eight-year dry spell that commenced when NASA’s Space Shuttle program closed down in 2011. 

The initial flights of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program are scheduled to occur in the coming months, and the initiation will witness privately owned vehicles transporting space agency astronauts for the first time.  In case the current schedule goes as per plan, California-based SpaceX would be the first one to dispatch its vehicle to space and it would be having two NASA astronauts on board. 

NASA has assigned the task to both SpaceX and also its competitor company Boeing to create new space capsules that would be carrying crews to and from low Earth orbit.  As per news, Boeing developed a new vehicle right from the scratch: the CST-100 Starliner.  On the other hand, SpaceX, just upgraded its Dragon cargo capsule that has been already used to transport supplies to and fro from the International Space Station (ISS).  Over the last five years, SpaceX has been revamping it to carry even more valuable cargo i.e. astronauts. 

The ultimate objective of the Commercial Crew Program is to have two brand new American vehicles that would be competent enough to take NASA astronauts to and from the ISS on a regular basis. 

Since the Shuttle program was cancelled in 2011, NASA depended on Russia to carry the agency’s astronauts as well as international partners to the ISS.  And by counting on private companies, NASA is getting what it requires while assisting to encourage development in the field of commercial space.  Both SpaceX and Boeing are undertaking some of the development costs.  It will make things likely cheaper for NASA than if the space agency managed everything directly. 

Before the astronauts embark on their journey, NASA wants to make sure of the fact that their vehicle is safe before taking off.  Once the Crew Dragon flies empty on the first occasion, the space agency will assess the success of their mission.  Only then they would be giving the green signal for flying the crew.