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NASA Names Its Astronauts For the First Dragon and CST-100 Flights

Posted by timothy on from the government-astronauts dept.

schwit1 writes with news that NASA has named the four government astronauts that will fly on the first manned demo flights to ISS of SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's CST-100. From Florida Today's report: Bob Behnken, Eric Boe, Doug Hurley and Sunita Williams are veteran test pilots who have flown on the shuttle and the International Space Station. NASA said the four astronauts will train with both companies and have not yet been assigned to flights. Two-person crews will fly the first test flights by each capsule, after they have completed an orbital test flight without people on board. Company proposals anticipate an all-NASA crew flying SpaceX's Dragon test flight, with Boeing's CST-100 carrying a split NASA-Boeing crew. Boeing has not yet identified its astronaut.

38 comments

  1. fly ON the mission? by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    true "spam in the can".

    1. Re:fly ON the mission? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

      Hey, cut these folks some slack. They are darned brave individuals, who fly on birth flights of new space technology. It's "The Right Stuff" . . . um, stuff.

      I'll buy any one of them a beer any day . . . and throw in dinner, as well.

      I wish them the best of luck on their flights!

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    2. Re:fly ON the mission? by rasmusbr · · Score: 2

      How do you expect to sell a spam can that has never been used to transport spam before? Someone has to be first.

      They'll obviously fly these capsules with test dummies or other test equipment first, but again, someone has to be the first actual human to fly.

    3. Re:fly ON the mission? by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 0

      They flew a cheese first.

    4. Re: fly ON the mission? by bledri · · Score: 2

      Especially considering the last one exploded on take off.

      Get your facts straight. The last one deflagrated over a minute into flight...

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      Some privacy policy Slashdot.
    5. Re: fly ON the mission? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From the perspective of the astronaut it really doesn't matter then manner in which it goes boom.

    6. Re: fly ON the mission? by BobJacobsen · · Score: 1

      Actually, it does. The Space X escape system may well have been able to separate from the second stage in time. It would still be available at that point. A true explosion happens a lot faster.

  2. Very cool! Wish the best of luck! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    For those that think they are funny, this is not an unmanned effort or just a piece of software, but rather actual human beings that go at great risk to help advance and potentially even allow for the continuation of our civilization. A bit more respect and appreciation is in order here.

  3. All Shuttle Vets by rmdingler · · Score: 4, Informative
    Same story, better link.

    Congratulations, one and all.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  4. Re: Now write the speech.... by murdocj · · Score: 2

    Well, because flying into space on the rocket built by the lowest cost bidder suddenly doesn't seem like a great idea.

  5. four government astronauts? by rossdee · · Score: 1

    four government astronauts?

    So will there be non-goverment astronuts?

  6. great timing by OpinionRabbit · · Score: 2

    they have not yet found all the reasons for the exploding rocket disaster and already announce that they will put humans in there soon. wow.

    1. Re:great timing by TomR+teh+Pirate · · Score: 1

      I thought the same thing. If only I had mod points for you. I wonder if the guys riding the Falcon 9 whose explosion is yet to be understood are collectively thinking, "oh crap...".

    2. Re:great timing by DerekLyons · · Score: 1

      Only if they're a stupid as you - which I doubt. They won't be flying until the cause is understood and the escape system validated.

    3. Re:great timing by TomR+teh+Pirate · · Score: 2

      That wasn't very nice of you to say. You're also [stupidly] assuming that

      1) Survival instinct is trumped by rationality
      2) The astronauts have complete faith in SpaceX's ability to correctly identify and solve the problem that didn't show up on their boards at all

      There is no reason why these people can't be of two minds about this topic.

    4. Re:great timing by EnsilZah · · Score: 2

      This is a program that has been in development for several years, and people won't be flying in it any earlier than 2017.
      There will be several unmanned missions before there are people on them.
      And Boeing also has a capsule and they hadn't had any rockets exploding recently.

      SpaceX is running their investigation, NASA is making an announcement about astronauts being selected for training for future flight.
      So what's your point exactly?

    5. Re:great timing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Rockets are inherently dangerous things. That risk is mitigated by implementing a launch escape system on anything with people in it. SpaceX's launch abort system is a really cool design, too. Compared to the shuttle, a second generation Falcon 9 + crewed dragon is way safer statistically (probably. I'm just some guy on the internet.)

    6. Re:great timing by bledri · · Score: 5, Insightful

      they have not yet found all the reasons for the exploding rocket disaster and already announce that they will put humans in there soon. wow.

      Wow indeed. But only in regard to your lack of understanding of how things get done in the real world. The first human launch on an F9 is over two years from now. That is plenty of time to identify and fix the problem, or if they can't (a ridiculously unlikely outcome) then they can make a new plan.

      Or should we have shutdown all civil air travel until MH370 is found and the root cause analysis is complete?

      P.S. In case you are unaware, there are two commercial crew providers. Only one of them use the F9. That's by design. It's called redundancy.

      --
      Some privacy policy Slashdot.
    7. Re:great timing by bledri · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That wasn't very nice of you to say. You're also [stupidly] assuming that 1) Survival instinct is trumped by rationality 2) The astronauts have complete faith in SpaceX's ability to correctly identify and solve the problem that didn't show up on their boards at all There is no reason why these people can't be of two minds about this topic.

      There're astronauts. They choose to do this for a career. They spent their entire educations and careers focussed on getting into space. They are all test pilots and all of them flew missions on the Space Shuttle after NASA lost two of them and choose to compete for flying on commercial crew. NASA, the NTSB, and the FAA have to approve every item that SpaceX removes from the fault tree analysis. They aren't just trusting SpaceX.

      Yes, they have a survival instinct, and yes they constantly override it with rationality. And the reward they get is to work on the ISS and orbit the Earth.

      --
      Some privacy policy Slashdot.
  7. Tea Party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Why is the government naming these people? Vote for Tea Party candidates to bring back an America where people are given names by their parents!

  8. The more interesting answer to ask for... by tlambert · · Score: 2

    The more interesting answer to ask for... at some point down the road, will be: "After having trained with both companies, which vehicle would you prefer to crew?".

    1. Re:The more interesting answer to ask for... by bledri · · Score: 1

      The more interesting answer to ask for... at some point down the road, will be: "After having trained with both companies, which vehicle would you prefer to crew?".

      Politically, they would never answer that question beyond "they are both great craft and I'm glad to have the opportunity to fly on either one."

      Realistically, it will come down to a matter of personal preference and getting our panties in a bunch is no different than a vim and emacs holy war.

      --
      Some privacy policy Slashdot.
  9. It's sunset for the era of astronaut glamour. by xmark · · Score: 1

    That takes nothing away from them. In a way, it adds to them. Ask Scott Crossfield, Chuck Yeager, or a hundred other test pilots whose name you'll never know.

    These people sign up knowing the risk. It's their business, and no one else's, whether they so choose. Godspeed to them.

  10. Re: Now write the speech.... by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    dude, you put the Coward in AC. I'm sure the indigenous tribes would have preferred if all European explorers were so afraid of adventure and risk, but most of the rest of prefer the world a bit less yellow.

    --
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  11. Picture of the Dragon and CST-100 by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 1

    http://www.americaspace.com/wp...

  12. Re:Quota by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm transgender you insensitive clod!

  13. Hot Shots by onthemightofprinces · · Score: 0

    "No honestly dear, I'll get the life insurance when I get back. It's a private-sector space shuttle... what could go wrong!"