Need to know: Commercial crew assignments to be announced Friday
2018-07-27
Assignments for the first four crewed flights of the Commercial Crew Program will be announced at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Friday, Aug. 3, at 10 a.m. CDT.
What does this mean?
Eight NASA astronauts and a Boeing astronaut will be assigned to two crewed flight tests and two post-certification missions to the International Space Station on the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and the SpaceX Crew Dragon. These astronauts will be the first humans to launch as part of the Commercial Crew Program, ushering in a new era of space exploration.
Who will fly?
Robert Behnken, Eric Boe, Douglas Hurley and Sunita Williams were announced as the first Commercial Crew astronauts in 2015. They will be joined by four additional NASA astronauts who will be announced at the event, as well as an astronaut from Boeing who will fly on the CST-100 certification flight.
When is the announcement?
The astronaut and crew schedule announcement will be made by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and JSC Director Mark Geyer on Aug. 3 at 10 a.m.
Where can I watch?
The announcement will be broadcast live on NASA TV and through a NASA Facebook Live starting at 10 a.m. ***In-person attendance in the Teague Auditorium is by invite only.***
What can I do?
We encourage all Johnson employees to get involved with the event by submitting questions for the crews on social media with #askNASA. Bridenstine will ask these questions to the astronauts live during the event. After the event, employees are encouraged to interact directly with the astronauts through a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" starting at 11:30 a.m.
Social Media Schedule:
10 a.m. Announcement live on the NASA social media accounts: Facebook, Periscope, YouTube, Twitch, Ustream and on the web at www.nasa.gov/live.
11:30 a.m.: Reddit Ask Me Anything with all nine announced astronauts at https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/.
2 p.m. Facebook Live with the Boeing Post Certification Mission crew on the International Space Station Facebook page.
2:30 p.m. Periscope with the SpaceX Post Certification Mission crew on the International Space Station Twitter account.
What happens next?
After the crews are announced, the astronauts will begin intensive crew training in preparation of launch. This will include training at Johnson for space station flights that are completed on the commercial vehicles.
Whats the big picture?
Partnering with U.S. space industry allows NASA to maintain a continued footprint on the International Space Station while focusing additional resources on returning to the Moon and then Mars and beyond.
NASA's Commercial Crew astronauts Doug Hurley, Eric Boe, Bob Behnken and Suni Williams are working closely with Boeing and SpaceX this year as each company works toward flight tests. Credit: NASA
Noah Michelsohn
NASA Johnson Space Center
Eight NASA astronauts and a Boeing astronaut will be assigned to two crewed flight tests and two post-certification missions to the International Space Station on the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and the SpaceX Crew Dragon. These astronauts will be the first humans to launch as part of the Commercial Crew Program, ushering in a new era of space exploration.
Who will fly?
Robert Behnken, Eric Boe, Douglas Hurley and Sunita Williams were announced as the first Commercial Crew astronauts in 2015. They will be joined by four additional NASA astronauts who will be announced at the event, as well as an astronaut from Boeing who will fly on the CST-100 certification flight.
When is the announcement?
The astronaut and crew schedule announcement will be made by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and JSC Director Mark Geyer on Aug. 3 at 10 a.m.
Where can I watch?
The announcement will be broadcast live on NASA TV and through a NASA Facebook Live starting at 10 a.m. ***In-person attendance in the Teague Auditorium is by invite only.***
What can I do?
We encourage all Johnson employees to get involved with the event by submitting questions for the crews on social media with #askNASA. Bridenstine will ask these questions to the astronauts live during the event. After the event, employees are encouraged to interact directly with the astronauts through a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" starting at 11:30 a.m.
Social Media Schedule:
10 a.m. Announcement live on the NASA social media accounts: Facebook, Periscope, YouTube, Twitch, Ustream and on the web at www.nasa.gov/live.
11:30 a.m.: Reddit Ask Me Anything with all nine announced astronauts at https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/.
2 p.m. Facebook Live with the Boeing Post Certification Mission crew on the International Space Station Facebook page.
2:30 p.m. Periscope with the SpaceX Post Certification Mission crew on the International Space Station Twitter account.
What happens next?
After the crews are announced, the astronauts will begin intensive crew training in preparation of launch. This will include training at Johnson for space station flights that are completed on the commercial vehicles.
Whats the big picture?
Partnering with U.S. space industry allows NASA to maintain a continued footprint on the International Space Station while focusing additional resources on returning to the Moon and then Mars and beyond.
NASA's Commercial Crew astronauts Doug Hurley, Eric Boe, Bob Behnken and Suni Williams are working closely with Boeing and SpaceX this year as each company works toward flight tests. Credit: NASA
Noah Michelsohn
NASA Johnson Space Center
A SpaceX Crew Dragon test article floats down to the Delamar Dry Lake in Nevada to complete a test of the parachute system. SpaceX is developing the Crew Dragon in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program to fly astronauts to the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA
An engineer guides the upper dome of a Boeing CST-100 Starliner as it is connected to the lower dome to complete the first hull of the Starliner's Structural Test Article. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA
Commercial crew insignia. Credit: NASA