NASA assigned on August 3, through their online accounts, the astronaut crew part of the first commercial missions onboard  Boeing’s Starlinger and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. This will bring a new era on human space flight.

The first test for the Starlinger, programmed for mid-2019, will include Eric Boe, Chris Ferguson and Nicole Aunapu Mann on command. Meanwhile, SpaceX is programmed for April 2019 with Bob Henken and Doug Hurley on command.

Also announced, the astronauts on the first long-time missions who will anchor on the International Space Station: Suni Williams and Josh Cassada will command Sterling, while Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins command Crew Dragon for the first time.

Commercial space flight milestone

NASA assigned, in total, 9 astronauts to support Boeing and SpaceX.  The agency and the private companies worked together on design, development and testing of the spaceflight equipment to assure it was up to NASA’s safety requirements.

“Today, our country’s dreams of greater achievements in space are within our grasp,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “This accomplished group of American astronauts, flying on new spacecraft developed by our commercial partners Boeing and SpaceX, will launch a new era of human spaceflight. Today’s announcement advances our great American vision and strengthens the nation’s leadership in space.”

There is no doubt now that commercial spaceflight is coming out of our dreams crashing into reality. In a couple of years, Boeing and SpaceX are closer than ever to take anyone into space. For us marketers, this sounds like news from another world or a sci-fi magazine. We could even think for a moment about that old Jetsons episode where George Jetson crashes his ship against a giant advertisement in the middle of the space highway.

Commercial Space Flight

Yes. This sounds like a crazy dream, but we must think about, even for just a second, how commercial spaceflight will impact marketing in the future. We can take a good look at the mistake we’ve made here on Earth and correct them. Maybe now its time to think about the many ways we can make user experience better, taking our brand’s unique services to give future clients (look at gen-Z)  a most pleasant trip into the future. With one ultimate goal in our minds: go to where no man has gone before, with the safety and comfort of your regular airline flight.

www.nasa.gov