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Boeing Unveils Facility For Next Spacecraft To Take Astronauts To International Space Station

Boeing's CST-100 is one of the spacecrafts NASA will use to fly astronauts to the International Space Station. Photo by Taisha Henry
Boeing's CST-100 is one of the spacecrafts NASA will use to fly astronauts to the International Space Station. Photo by Taisha Henry

Boeing unveils its new facility Friday at Kennedy Space Center housing its new spacecraft that will replace the shuttle in flying astronauts to the International Space Station.

It is the first time NASA has partnered with a private company in sending astronauts to space.

The facility is in an old shuttle hangar. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott will join other space leaders for the event.

The facility will house Boeing's CST-100 capsule, one of two private spacecrafts selected by NASA to fly astronauts to the International Space Station beginning in 2017.

The other is SpaceX's Dragon capsule.

The two are part of NASA's Commerical Crew Program, the space agency's strategy for sending astronauts to the International Space Station while it focuses on deep space exploration.

The facility is part of a massive transformation underway at Kennedy as the space center transitions from the shuttle program into a multi-user spaceport.

Amy Green covered the environment for WMFE until 2023. Her work included the 2020 podcast DRAINED.