NASA revises launch targets for Boeing, SpaceX crew ships

If all goes well 2019 will be the year the US regains the ability to launch crews on a non foreign manned space flight system. With both Boeing and SpaceX preparing their respective man rated capsules for their maiden crewed voyages to LEO.

Linky

The first launch of a SpaceX Crew Dragon with astronauts on board -- Bob Behnken and Douglas Hurley -- is tentatively planned for June. Boeing's first piloted mission, with company vice president Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Eric Boe and Nicole Mann on board, is targeted for August. All four flights have slipped one to two months past earlier estimates.
But if the current schedule holds up, NASA could be clear to begin operational crew rotation flights, carrying four astronauts to the station at a time, starting as early as next August. That would allow NASA to boost the station crew to seven, adding an extra set of hands for on-board research in a long-awaited milestone.

"Having completed a number of additional milestones, including substantial training and numerous integrated mission simulations, end-to-end Dragon checkouts at the Cape, complete Falcon 9 vehicle integration review and installation of the crew access arm at (the launch pad), SpaceX is on track for launch readiness in December," a SpaceX spokesperson said in an email. "We look forward to launching our first demonstration flight of Crew Dragon, one of the safest, most-advanced human spaceflight systems ever built, as part of the Commercial Crew program and working with NASA to identify the specific launch target date soon." With the latest launch schedule update, NASA's push to resume human space launch from American soil is coming down to the wire.

Shame they aren’t going for a December launch but it seems the plan may be for a rondevous with the ISS early as they cited launch windows as part of the reason for not launching in December. I personally think it’d be great if the first manned space flight of the Dragon includied a docking with the ISS especially considering Russia is back to claiming the Soyuz leak incident couldn’t have happened on the ground once again pointing the finger at US astronauts.

Sayonara soyuz!

Wow Boeing is really coming around. Great job Boeing!

I can't wait to see this monster launch. I might even take a vacation to see it with my own eyes.

originally posted by: Fools
Wow Boeing is really coming around. Great job Boeing!

I can't wait to see this monster launch. I might even take a vacation to see it with my own eyes.

I would love to see that beast in action! But SpaceX and the manned Dragon capsule will most likely be the go to in the future. SpaceX rocks

originally posted by: Fools
Wow Boeing is really coming around. Great job Boeing!

I can't wait to see this monster launch. I might even take a vacation to see it with my own eyes.

I’m sure investors are happy along with them pulling in the TX program for the USAF.

Seems Boeing might be playing very dirty with SpaceX:
Linky

After today, there's no other option left, than categorically forbid certain western countries from launching using Russain Soyuz rockets ! Beginning from Italian and Dutch astronauts.