5 things we know now about NASA's Commercial Crew program

NASA Private Space

This undated artist illustration provided by Boeing shows the company's Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100. (AP Photo/Boeing)

(Anonymous)

NASA is moving forward on its plan to have American astronauts flying to the International Space Station again aboard American spaceships beginning in 2017. Some have called the back and forth flights "space taxis," but the space agency officially calls this its Commercial Crew program. It released new details Wednesday, and here's an update.

1. The first official order for a flight has gone to Boeing. SpaceX is expected to get a flight order before the end of the year. Boeing will fly crews on its Crew Space Transportation ship (CST-100), and SpaceX will fly crews aboard a Dragon spaceship.

2. Getting the first order doesn't mean Boeing will be the first to fly. That decision will come later, NASA says. The flight orders are to give the two companies plenty of time to get a capsule ready for the first mission.

3. The first flight is now planned for "late 2017," but that depends on the two companies meeting the rest of their milestones. John Mulholland, Boeing's vice president for commercial space, said in NASA's press release Wednesday that his company is "on track to fly in 2017." NASA says SpaceX is also meeting milestones and on track.

4. A standard mission will carry four NASA or "NASA-sponsored crew members" and about 220 pounds of cargo. The spacecraft will remain at the station up to 210 days and serve as an emergency lifeboat in case the astronauts need to abandon the station.

5. NASA's contracts with Boeing and SpaceX call for a minimum of two and maximum of seven missions.