<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b2bd6431ae66236008b4690-1632/sunita-williams-astronaut-sunglasses-commercial-crew-nasa-27997318958f14805fe3a.jpg" border="0" alt="sunita williams astronaut sunglasses commercial crew nasa 27997318958_f14805fe3a" data-mce-source="NASA/Kim Shiflett" data-mce-caption="NASA astronaut and Commercial Crew member Sunita Williams in March 2018." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/27997318958/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/27997318958/">NASA/Kim Shiflett</a></span></p><p class="caption">NASA astronaut and Commercial Crew member Sunita Williams in March 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>After nearly a decade of effort, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacex">SpaceX</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/boeing">Boeing</a> are preparing to launch the first NASA astronauts on commercial spaceships.</p><p>Boeing's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/cst-100-starliner">CST-100 Starliner</a> and SpaceX's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/crew-dragon">Crew Dragon</a> may fly their first crews in December and January. The goal of NASA's Commercial Crew program, as it's called, is to taxi astronauts to and from the $150-billion <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/space-station-trump-plan-problems-astronaut-risk-2018-5">International Space Station</a>. Accomplishing that would close an increasingly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-commercial-crew-spacex-boeing-delays-russia-space-station-2018-1">expensive gap</a> in the US' space travel capabilities.</p><p>In 2015, NASA selected astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/sunita-l-williams/biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunita "Suni" Williams</a> and three other "<a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/bolden/2015/07/09/nasa-selects-astronauts-for-first-u-s-commercial-space-flights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">space pioneers</a>" to test then fly the new spaceships.</p><p>"Five years ago, this would have been like, 'No way, what are we doing asking commercial providers to be able to do this?'" Williams told Business Insider. "Now it feels like a natural progression for space travel."</p><p>Williams has flown inside three spaceships, served as commander of the International Space Station, lived in orbit for 322 days, and piloted 30 different types of aircraft for the Navy.</p><p>This extensive resume has come in handy over the past three years, as Williams has worked closely with Boeing and SpaceX. She and her colleagues have poked and prodded spacecraft mock-ups, tried on new spacesuits, fiddled with control panels, tested out simulators, and provided frank and sometimes critical feedback.</p><p>Here's why NASA needs Boeing and SpaceX, what Williams thinks of their new ships and suits, and how she's preparing to blast off into the uncharted territory of a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-space-race-elon-musk-spacex-blue-origin-2018-2">new space race</a>.</p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Boeing stock price <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/BA-Quote">here.</a></p>

This veteran NASA astronaut has tried SpaceX and Boeing's new spaceships and spacesuits - here's what she thinks

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b2bc6881ae6621f008b46c5-2048/sunita-williams-nasa-astronaut-commercial-crew-dragon-mockup-spacesuit-spacex-2855769643867cdda2282k.jpg" border="0" alt="sunita williams nasa astronaut commercial crew dragon mockup spacesuit spacex 28557696438_67cdda2282_k" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="SpaceX" data-mce-caption="NASA astronaut and Commercial Crew member Sunita Williams tests mock-ups of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship and spacesuit in April 2018." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/28557696438/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/28557696438/">SpaceX</a></span></p><p class="caption">NASA astronaut and Commercial Crew member Sunita "Suni" Williams tests a mock-up of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship and spacesuit in April 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX</a> and Boeing designed and built new spacesuits for NASA's Commercial Crew program.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacesuits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spacesuits</a> can protect astronauts if a spaceship unexpectedly leaks or depressurizes.</strong></li><li><strong>Sunita "Suni" Williams, who's slated to fly inside the first commercial orbital spaceships, has worn SpaceX and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/boeing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing</a>'s spacesuits.</strong></li><li><strong>"They're both better than suits that we've had in the past," she told Business Insider.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p>Every next-generation spaceship needs a great spacesuit, and one NASA astronaut says Boeing and SpaceX are delivering.</p><p>Following nearly 10 years of work, both of those aerospace companies may launch brand-new spaceships for NASA by the end of the summer, though without people aboard. If those test flights go well, the first launches of astronauts on commercial spacecraft could follow by the end of the year.</p><p>The work is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, a roughly $8 billion competition for private companies to develop ships that can taxi astronauts to and from the $150-billion <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/space-station-trump-plan-problems-astronaut-risk-2018-5">International Space Station</a> (and end <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-commercial-crew-spacex-boeing-delays-russia-space-station-2018-1">reliance on Russia</a> to make the journey).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5888e1ceee14b6aa5c8b94cf-960/boeing-spacesuit-starlinergallery17960.jpg" border="0" alt="boeing spacesuit starliner_gallery17_960" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="Boeing" data-link="http://www.boeing.com/space/starliner/#/gallery" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.boeing.com/space/starliner/#/gallery">Boeing</a></span></p><p class="caption">Former astronaut Chris Ferguson wears Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacesuit.</p></div><p></p></div></div>In January 2017, Boeing showed off its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-spacesuit-nasa-photos-2017-1">CST-100 Starliner spacesuit</a> for the first time. Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, followed with his own <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-spacesuit-2017-8">spacesuit reveal for the Crew Dragon</a> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-spacesuit-2017-8"></a>vehicle in August.</p><p>Astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/sunita-l-williams/biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunita "Suni" Williams</a> and three other "<a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/bolden/2015/07/09/nasa-selects-astronauts-for-first-u-s-commercial-space-flights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commercial Crew Cadre</a>" team members have worked closely with both companies over the past three years. They've <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-suni-williams-on-spacex-boeing-spaceships-2018-6">provided critical feedback</a> on the ship designs and, of course, the spacesuits.</p><p>"Five years ago, this would have been like, 'No way, what are we doing asking commercial providers to be able to do this?'" Williams told Business Insider. "Now it feels like a natural progression for space travel."</p><p>Here's what Williams, who's spent 322 days in space, thinks of the suits.</p><h2>The importance of a spacesuit</h2><p>There's no such thing as one-size-fits-all spacesuit. Some, like the extravehicular mobility unit, are big, bulky, and used only when astronauts are building or making repairs to the International Space Station. Hypothetical spacesuits for Mars <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spidersuit-mars-astronauts-lockheed-nasa-2017-5">might one day have spider legs</a> to crawl across the red planet's moons.</p><p>One thing is constant in the world of spacesuits, though: Every crewed launch vehicle has its own lightweight flight suit.</p><p>"They have to all do the same thing," Williams said. "They all have to be able to protect you."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b34b16e9801fd19008b45de-1287/suni-williams-astronaut-russian-sokal-soyuz-spacesuit-94012905290a100feba2k.jpg" border="0" alt="suni williams astronaut russian sokol soyuz spacesuit 9401290529_0a100feba2_k" data-mce-source="NASA" data-mce-caption="NASA astronaut Sunita Williams dons a Russian Sokol spacesuit in March 2007." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/9401290529/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/9401290529/">NASA</a></span></p><p class="caption">Williams dons a Russian Sokol flight suit in March 2007. The suit is part of the Soyuz launch system.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>That's because bad things can happen quickly to a human body when a spacecraft is leaking or otherwise compromised.</p><p>A rapid loss of air and pressure - and exposure to the vacuum of space - will cause gases inside a person's organs to expand or bubble out of blood and tissues. This will make a person pass out in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-human-survive-outer-space-without-spacesuit-2017-5">about 15 seconds</a>. That's too little time to understand the scope of a major problem, let alone take corrective action or make a fix.</p><p>Spacesuits hedge against such catastrophe by cocooning astronauts in their own sealed-off life-support system.</p><p>"The spacecraft and it's environmental control system dictates some of the spacesuit capability, and both of these providers came up with their own spacecraft, and their own environmental control system," Williams said. "They came up with their own spacesuit that works with it. So we see some differences there."</p><p>There are some commonalities between the two new suits, though.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5888e4ddee14b68f7b8b6c63-2048/boeing-starliner-spacesuit-flickr-nasa-kennedy-32141923950c6a9a6069fk.jpg" border="0" alt="boeing starliner spacesuit flickr nasa kennedy 32141923950_c6a9a6069f_k" data-mce-source="NASA Kennedy/Flickr" data-mce-caption="Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacesuit." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/32141923950/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/32141923950/">NASA Kennedy/Flickr</a></span></p><p class="caption">Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacesuit.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"We'll have an umbilical for both suits to provide breathing air as well as cooling air," Williams said, referring to a hose-like tube that connects a spacesuit to a ship's life-support system. "You're gonna have your visor open for some of the time, you're going to have your visor closed for other parts of the time - and that's why you need air to be coming in through the umbilical."</p><p>This way, if a surprise leak or other problem occurs, astronauts will have a fighting chance to save a mission and themselves.</p><p>Williams said Russia's Sokol flight suit, which she and other astronauts wear aboard the Soyuz spacecraft, "is an awesome suit." But she noted that the new SpaceX and Boeing designs "look a little bit better" and are more comfortable, thanks to newer materials.</p><h2>The Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon spacesuits</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b2bc6861ae66221008b51c6-1314/spacex-astronaut-spacesuit-crew-dragon-38796771514a81072e6b8o.jpg" border="0" alt="spacex astronaut spacesuit crew dragon 38796771514_a81072e6b8_o" data-mce-source="SpaceX" data-mce-caption="The spacesuit and Crew Dragon spaceship that SpaceX will use to launch NASA astronauts into space." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/38796771514/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/38796771514/">SpaceX</a></span></p><p class="caption">The spacesuit and Crew Dragon spaceship that SpaceX will use to launch NASA astronauts into space.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>NASA retired its space shuttle program in July 2011, forcing the agency to rely solely on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to get astronauts to and from the space station. The commercial crew program, however, will give NASA astronauts newer, cheaper, US-made options to get to the ISS.</p><p>SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner capsules will each seat up to seven people, as the space shuttle did. Williams said each spacesuit will be fitted to a reclined seat for extra safety, similar to the Soyuz capsule.</p><p>"You're going to land essentially on your back," Williams said. "You want to be able to take that impact."</p><p>Typical space shuttle suits weighed about 33 lbs (15 kilograms), while Boeing's new suit weighs about 12 lbs (5.4 kilograms).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b34b6b9019a4619008b4611-1367/boeing-starliner-spacesuit-flickr-nasa-kennedy-316773494446e2f278490k.jpg" border="0" alt="boeing starliner spacesuit flickr nasa kennedy 31677349444_6e2f278490_k" style="color: #222222;" data-mce-source="NASA Kennedy/Flickr" data-mce-caption="Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacesuit." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/31677349444/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/31677349444/">NASA Kennedy/Flickr</a></span></p><p class="caption">Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacesuit.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"The blue suit that Boeing has, it has a zipper in the front that'll accommodate a straighter posture," Williams said.</p><p>Standing up straight in a suit is typically difficult because they're designed to fit a reclined posture in a seat. And once inflated, they become very taut - like a balloon made out of tough and sometimes inflexible materials.</p><p>SpaceX's suit is also easier to move around in than all other spacesuits Williams has worn, she said.</p><p>"The SpaceX one has like a motorcycle helmet that comes down and in clips in easy," she said. "An outer cover layer makes the suit look a little bit more slim-lined."</p><p>Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and its lead designer, wrote about tests of the suit last year <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYIPmEFAIIn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Instagram</a>. "Already tested to double vacuum pressure. Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics [sic] and function," he said. "Easy to do either separately."</p><p>For her part, Williams is eager to wear one of the suits on an actual flight - though she doesn't know which company's spaceship and suit she'll use first.</p><p>"They're both different, and they're both better than suits that we've had in the past," she said. "It's gonna be fun to put a new spacesuit on."</p><h2>When the spacesuits might see their first use</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b043a87bd6fc229008b5227-2400/165128643692bb896c344o.jpg" border="0" alt="spacex falcon 9" data-mce-source="Flickr/SpaceX" data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacexphotos/16512864369/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacexphotos/16512864369/">Flickr/SpaceX</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The Commercial Crew program will launch uncrewed ships first. SpaceX is aiming to do that in August and Boeing in November. If successful, Boeing may launch its first crew in November 2018 and SpaceX in December 2018.</p><p>SpaceX will launch Crew Dragon spaceships with its Falcon 9 rocket. Boeing will launch CST-100 Starliners on United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rockets.</p><p>Both companies maintain <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2018/01/11/nasas-commercial-crew-program-target-test-flight-dates-2/">optimistic target launch dates</a>, but the Commercial Crew program is anything but certain. A <a href="https://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">site</a> maintained by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggests SpaceX's crewed launch will actually be in January, 2019. And Spaceflight101.com's International Space Station <a href="http://spaceflight101.com/iss/iss-calendar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calendar</a> suggests a crewed launch attempt by either Boeing or SpaceX on December 31, 2018 or January 17, 2019.</p><p>"Everything's not been tied up, not quite yet," Williams said.</p><p>In fact, crewed launch dates could slip to mid-2019. Williams said she expects NASA to announce her official mission selection this summer, and from there about a year of more deliberate mission training will follow.</p><p>NASA originally wanted crewed launches to happen in 2017, but delays snowballed due to the agency's stringent safety concerns. It wants Boeing and SpaceX's spacecraft to have less than a 1-in-200 chance of killing a crew in an accident - three times less than the space shuttle's performance record.</p><p>Williams said she and the other Commercial Crew team members are aware of the risks they're taking.</p><p>"This is our profession and this is what we're supposed to do. I think everybody will be up to the challenge and ready to go when the spacecraft are ready," she said. "Everybody believes, or they wouldn't be here, that what we're doing is for a bigger purpose."</p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Boeing stock price <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/BA-Quote">here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-human-survive-outer-space-without-spacesuit-2017-5">Here's how long humans could survive in space without a spacesuit</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/6axayU7g-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

This seasoned NASA astronaut wore SpaceX and Boeing's new spacesuits - here's what she thinks of them

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b2bc6881ae6621f008b46c5-2048/sunita-williams-nasa-astronaut-commercial-crew-dragon-mockup-spacesuit-spacex-2855769643867cdda2282k.jpg" border="0" alt="sunita williams nasa astronaut commercial crew dragon mockup spacesuit spacex 28557696438_67cdda2282_k" data-mce-source="SpaceX" data-mce-caption="NASA astronaut and Commercial Crew member Sunita Williams tests mock-ups of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship and spacesuit in April 2018." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/28557696438/"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/28557696438/">SpaceX</a></span></p><p class="caption">NASA astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams tests mock-ups of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship and spacesuit.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/boeing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing</a> built new spaceships for NASA to fly its astronauts into orbit.</strong></li><li><strong>NASA's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/commercial-crew-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commercial Crew Program</a>, as it's called, will soon launch launch one uncrewed and two crewed test flights of each new spacecraft.</strong></li><li><strong>On Friday, NASA plans to announce the eight astronauts who will fly either SpaceX's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/crew-dragon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Crew Dragon</a> or Boeing's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/cst-100-starliner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CST-100 Starliner</a> ships for the first time.</strong></li><li><strong>NASA TV is broadcasting video of the announcement live from Texas.</strong></li></ul><hr><p>NASA is about to name the&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-commercial-crew-spacex-boeing-astronaut-selection-2018-7">first astronauts</a> ever to fly commercial spaceships.</p><p>On Friday, the space agency plans to announce crews for the first flights of SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner. NASA will broadcast video of the announcement, and you can watch live starting around 11 a.m. EDT via the embed at the end of this post.</p><p>The announcement is a big deal because the last American crew-carrying spacecraft - NASA's fleet of four space shuttle orbiters - retired in July 2011. Since then, NASA has been forced to rely solely on Russia's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-buying-russian-soyuz-seats-2019-2017-1">increasingly expensive</a> Soyuz spaceships to get to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-station-trump-plan-problems-astronaut-risk-2018-5">International Space Station</a> (ISS), in which the US government has invested about $100 billion.</p><p>SpaceX and Boeing's new spacecraft are shaping up to be two solutions to that problem. They're both the result of NASA's Commercial Crew Program: a nearly 10-year-long, $8-billion effort to maintain access to orbit for US astronauts.</p><p>However, both companies still have to prove that their vehicles can fly to the ISS and return safely to Earth.</p><p>To certify that the Crew Dragon and CST-100 Starliner are ready to become NASA's new go-to space taxis, SpaceX and Boeing are each planning three test missions. Flights without any people are expected before the end of 2018, followed by two crewed missions sometime in 2019. (The first test flights were originally slated to launch in 2017, but the program didn't meet that deadline.)</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="NASA/Kennedy Space Center (via Flickr); Boeing; Shayanne Gal/Business Insider" title_caption="An illustration of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft (left) and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft (right)." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b60b2478ea82f1d008b4970-960/nasa-spacex-boeing-cst-100-starliner-crew-dragon-spaceships-spacecraft-illustration-business-insider-shayanne-gal-.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b60b2478ea82f1d008b4970-2400/nasa-spacex-boeing-cst-100-starliner-crew-dragon-spaceships-spacecraft-illustration-business-insider-shayanne-gal-.png" border="0" alt="NASA SpaceX Boeing cst 100 starliner crew dragon spaceships spacecraft illustration business insider shayanne gal " style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="NASA/Kennedy Space Center (via Flickr); Boeing; Shayanne Gal/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="An illustration of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft (left) and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft (right)." /></a><p class="source"><span>NASA/Kennedy Space Center (via Flickr); Boeing; Shayanne Gal/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">An illustration of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft (left) and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft (right).</p></div><p></p></div></div>Four of the eight astronauts will almost certainly be Bob Behnken, Eric Boe, Doug Hurley, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-suni-williams-on-spacex-boeing-spacesuits-2018-6">Sunita "Suni" Williams</a>. Sometimes called the "Commercial Crew Cadre," those astronauts are seasoned veterans who've worked closely with Boeing and SpaceX on their new spacecraft and systems over the past three years.<p>The other four astronauts that NASA has selected, however, aren't yet publicly known. (However, Boeing also plans to launch a third person on its first crewed mission: Chris Ferguson, a company employee and retired NASA astronaut,&#xa0;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2018/07/24/feature/nasa-trained-boeing-employed-chris-ferguson-hopes-to-make-history-as-a-company-astronaut/">according to the Washington Post</a>.)</p><p>NASA plans to announce its final decision on the crews - two astronauts for each of the four crewed test flights - on Friday morning.</p><p>You can watch NASA's Commercial Crew Program mission selection event live via NASA TV, which is streaming video from Johnson Space Center in Texas.</p><p>Around 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, August 3, return to this page and click the player below.</p><p><br>If the feed doesn't load for any reason, you can also try to watch via <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwMDvPCGeE0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ustream</a>, or the space agency's <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA TV website</a>.</br></p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Boeing stock price <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/BA-Quote">here.</a></p><div><iframe width="830" height="467" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wwMDvPCGeE0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/living-on-iss-2017-5">Here's how astronauts carry out simple, everyday tasks in space</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/9FuCffK8-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr>

NASA is naming 8 astronauts to fly SpaceX and Boeing's new spaceships - here's how to watch the announcement live

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c5b60d6342cca14f92e9a14-2048/spacex-crew-dragon-space-capsule-ship-falcon-9-rocket-launch-pad-39a-arm-nasa-commercial-crew-program-ccp.jpg" border="0" alt="spacex crew dragon space capsule ship falcon 9 rocket launch pad 39a arm nasa commercial crew program ccp" data-mce-source="SpaceX/Twitter" data-mce-caption="A view of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program to launch astronauts into orbit from US soil." data-link="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1093258801518530560" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1093258801518530560">SpaceX/Twitter</a></span></p><p class="caption">A view of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program to launch astronauts into orbit from US soil.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX</a> and Boeing have built new spaceships, called Crew Dragon and CST-100 Starliner,<span style="background-color: #ffffff;"> respectively,</span> to launch NASA astronauts into orbit.</li><li>But each company must perform several test-launches before <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA</a> will certify the space capsules for regular flight.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/crew-dragon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Crew Dragon</a> is scheduled to launch the first test mission - one without any astronauts on board - on March 2.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/boeing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing</a> may follow with the launch of its CST-100 Starliner in April, and SpaceX with its first crewed launch in July.</li></ul><p>For the first time in nearly eight years, an American-made spaceship designed to fly NASA astronauts may soon launch from US soil.</p><p>SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, has agreed on a March 2 inaugural launch date for its new space capsule, called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-crew-dragon-capsule-what-its-like-inside-2018-8">Crew Dragon</a>, NASA said on Wednesday. The vehicle, shown above, will launch into orbit atop a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-block-5-2018-5">Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket</a> with no people on board, dock with the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-station-trump-plan-problems-astronaut-risk-2018-5">$150 billion</a> International Space Station, and then return to Earth.</p><p>Boeing, another NASA partner planning to eventually fly its astronauts, is looking to April for the first orbital test-launch of its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-starliner-fuel-leak-risks-nasa-access-iss-2018-8">CST-100 Starliner</a> vehicle.</p><p>"The uncrewed test flights will be the first time commercially-built and operated American spacecraft designed for humans will dock to the space station," NASA representative Anna Heiney wrote in <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2019/02/06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a blog post</a> on Wednesday. The first flights are dress rehearsals for missions with astronauts aboard the vehicles."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b2bc6861ae66241008b56c9-2000/boeing-cst-100-starliner-docking-space-station-illustration-space-earth-2406222448439cd846e51k.jpg" border="0" alt="boeing cst 100 starliner docking space station illustration space earth 24062224484_39cd846e51_k" data-mce-source="Boeing" data-mce-caption="An illustration of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner docking to the International Space Station." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/24062224484/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/24062224484/">Boeing</a></span></p><p class="caption">An illustration of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner docking to the International Space Station.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>SpaceX's experimental launch, which won't carry people, was originally scheduled to fly in December 2016. But following <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rocket-explosion-launch-pad-2016-9">the explosion</a> of a Falcon 9 rocket on a launch pad in September of that year (no one was hurt), NASA gave the system more scrutiny. The agency requested more design tweaks and rocket flight data, and postponed a notional launch date for SpaceX's first Crew Dragon demonstration mission more than a dozen times.</p><p>The private-government partnerships with NASA are part of a roughly $8 billion effort to replace the ability to fly astronauts that was lost when the agency retired its space shuttle fleet in 2011. The Commercial Crew Program, as the effort is called, has been in the works since 2010.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-announcement-astronaut-crew-spacex-boeing-selection-2018-8">NASA names 9 astronauts who will fly SpaceX and Boeing's spaceships for the first time - here's who they are</a></em></p><p>"NASA has been working together with SpaceX and Boeing to make sure we are ready to conduct these test flights and get ready to learn critical information that will further help us to fly our crews safely," Kathy Lueders, the manager of CCP, said in NASA's post. "We always learn from tests."</p><p>Although NASA has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-commercial-crew-spacex-boeing-delays-russia-space-station-2018-1">repeatedly delayed</a> its CCP launches, the March 2 date appears to be firmer than usual. Irene Klotz of Aviation Week <a href="http://aviationweek.com/awinspace/nasa-sets-feb-22-demo-1-frr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday that NASA and SpaceX managers and engineers are gathering on February 22 for a flight readiness review meeting. Such reviews are typically reserved for just before serious attempts of a launch.</p><h2>Why NASA is eager to launch American-made commercial spaceships</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a57d86ef421491e008b4747-2000/space-shuttle-atlantis-sts135-july-2011-copyright-dave-mosher.jpg" border="0" alt="space shuttle atlantis sts135 july 2011 copyright dave mosher" data-mce-source="Dave Mosher" data-mce-caption="Space shuttle Atlantis at Launchpad 39A in Cape Canaveral, Fla." data-link="http://davemosher.com" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://davemosher.com">Dave Mosher</a></span></p><p class="caption">Space shuttle Atlantis at Launchpad 39A in Cape Canaveral, Florida - the final flight of the NASA program.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>NASA hasn't transported its own astronauts to the space station since July 2011.</p><p>At the behest of lawmakers, the agency space shuttle fleet retired due to concerns about its safety and cost, the development of a new government launch system, and the rapid rise of the commercial spaceflight industry. According to estimates that spread out the shuttle's development cost, each launch cost <a href="https://www.space.com/11358-nasa-space-shuttle-program-cost-30-years.html">roughly $1.5 billion</a> in taxpayer dollars.</p><p>Ever since 2011, the agency has exclusively relied on Russia to fly its astronauts on Soyuz spaceships. The arrangement has become increasingly costly, with Russia nearly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-buying-russian-soyuz-seats-2019-2017-1">quadrupling its prices for NASA</a> over a decade. (In 2018, a round-trip ticket for a NASA astronaut cost <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-buying-russian-soyuz-seats-2019-2017-1">about $81 million</a> versus $22 million in 2008.)</p><p>More recently, one Soyuz rocket <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/soyuz-rocket-launch-failure-video-2018-11">failed during launch</a> - the crew survived unscathed - and a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-station-hole-found-russian-knife-spacewalk-video-2018-12">mysterious hole</a> was discovered in another spacecraft at the ISS.</p><p>NASA is thus funding Commercial Crew to seed reliable and cost-effective ways of taxiing its astronauts to and from orbit. The agency hosted a years-long commercial competition, and SpaceX and Boeing emerged as the frontrunners for regularly flying crews.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c5c5e77342cca252a28d104-2364/spacex-crew-dragon-launch-pad-abort-test-kennedy-space-center-cape-canaveral-florida-may-2015.jpg" border="0" alt="spacex crew dragon launch pad abort test kennedy space center cape canaveral florida may 2015" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="SpaceX" data-mce-caption="SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule during a launch pad abort test in Florida on May 6, 2016." data-link="https://www.spacex.com/news/2015/05/06/crew-dragon-completes-pad-abort-test" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.spacex.com/news/2015/05/06/crew-dragon-completes-pad-abort-test">SpaceX</a></span></p><p class="caption">SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule during a launch pad abort test in Florida on May 6, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div>SpaceX successfully performed a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/spacex-demonstrates-astronaut-escape-system-for-crew-dragon-spacecraft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launch pad abort test</a> in May 2016, showing that in the event of a rocket failure,  it could reliably whisk a crew to safety. Boeing is now preparing to perform a similar test with the Starliner in June 2019, according to NASA.</p><p>If all goes well with SpaceX-Demo 1, as the first experimental SpaceX mission is officially called, the company will perform an in-flight abort test in June.</p><p>Crew Dragon may then ferry its first human crew to the space station in July 2019. Boeing hopes to follow suit no sooner than August 2019.</p><p>In 2015, NASA selected veteran astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/sunita-l-williams/biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunita "Suni" Williams</a> and three other "<a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/bolden/2015/07/09/nasa-selects-astronauts-for-first-u-s-commercial-space-flights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">space pioneers</a>" to climb inside and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-suni-williams-on-spacex-boeing-spaceships-2018-6">provide feedback on the new spaceships</a>. In August 2018, she was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-announcement-astronaut-crew-spacex-boeing-selection-2018-8">selected to fly</a> Boeing's second crewed flight of the Starliner.</p><p>"Five years ago, this would have been like, 'No way, what are we doing asking commercial providers to be able to do this?'" Williams previously told Business Insider. "Now it feels like a natural progression for space travel."</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-layoffs-jobs-terminated-list-california-headquarters-2019-1">These are the 577 positions SpaceX is cutting at its headquarters in a major round of layoffs</a></em></p><p>SpaceX plans to launch its first-ever Crew Dragon from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The company has leased and retrofitted the historic site from NASA, using it to launch Falcon 9 rockets and the first-ever <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-spacex-epic-rocket-launch-in-person-2018-2">Falcon Heavy rocket</a>.</p><p>Following the flight readiness review on February 22, however, there is a decent chance the SpaceX-Demo 1 launch could once again be delayed.</p><p>"As with all human spaceflight vehicle development," Heiney wrote in her post on Wednesday, "learning from each test and adjusting as necessary to reduce risk to the crew may override planning dates."</p><p><em>Are you a current or former space industry employee with a story to share? Send Dave Mosher <a href="mailto:dmosher+tips@businessinsider.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an email</a> or consider more secure options <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dave-mosher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed here</a>.</em></p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Boeing stock price <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/BA-Quote">here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-space-tourism-2018-9">How SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic plan on taking you to space</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/RmEqM9f6-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

SpaceX may launch its new spaceship for NASA in March - a vital test that will show it can safely fly astronauts

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5599dbb3ecad04382255daa9-810-524/rocket-nasa-mar-2015.jpg" border="0" alt="rocket nasa mar 2015"><p class="source"><span>Aubrey Gemignani/NASA via Getty Images</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>There's been a lot of buzz about NASA's goal to land the first humans on Mars by the 2030s, but who those people will be remained unknown.<p>Now, the day has come for NASA to announce the members of its latest Commercial Crew Program, the same program they've said will one day take us to Mars.</p><p>On Thursday, July 9, NASA announced that these four people will go down in history as the first astronauts of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.</p><p>They are: Robert Behnken, Sunita Williams, Eric Boe, and Douglas Hurley.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/559ee4cceab8ea3d1835bd12-1200-675/15-148-1.jpg" border="0" alt="nasa crew"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2015/07/09/nasa-selects-astronauts-for-first-u-s-commercial-spaceflights/">NASA</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>The Commercial Crew Program is the successor to NASA's 30-year-old Space Shuttle Program with the goal to once again send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station from American soil. Once that feat is accomplished, we'll be the closest to Mars we've been yet.</p><p>The new NASA astronauts will immediately begin training in preparation for their ride into space, which is currently slated for 2017.</p><p>After NASA's Space Shuttle Program retired in 2011, NASA was forced to rely on Russia to send its astronauts into space. And it still does for $76 million per seat. The agency's new program will cut the cost by nearly a third, explains NASA Administrator Charles Bolden:</p><p>"On an American-owned spacecraft, the average cost will be $58 million per astronaut," he said in the <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/bolden/2015/07/09/nasa-selects-astronauts-for-first-u-s-commercial-space-flights/">NASA statement</a> announcing the four astronauts.</p><p>In 2017, NASA hopes that companies like SpaceX and Boeing will launch this latest crew to the ISS.</p><p>Now learn more about the crew in these informative, yet brief, introduction videos:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KTnohSNCsI">Robert Behnken discusses</a> the importance of NASA's partnership with companies like SpaceX:</p><div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6KTnohSNCsI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOLY3qdW7Tc">Sunita Williams says</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> "this is the next step":</span></p><div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NOLY3qdW7Tc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUr5jNa5Mmc">Eric Boe</a> talks about why he wanted to get involves with this program:</p><div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GUr5jNa5Mmc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4Hn5ags6ho">Douglas Hurley</a> highlights the efforts of all involved:</p><div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/S4Hn5ags6ho" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/prevent-blisters-jogging-running-shoes-sneakers-athletic-shoelace-hole-2015-5">Someone figured out the purpose of the extra shoelace hole on your running shoes - and it will blow your mind</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lyNnMwdToPHeoBdqEnriXIBVrqyIR6er" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'lyNnMwdToPHeoBdqEnriXIBVrqyIR6er',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

NASA just announced the 4 astronauts who'll jumpstart the mission that will take us to Mars

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
<html><body><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://onwardinternet.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54b5577b6da8119f5f360981-1200-924/earth-from-space-5.jpg" border="0" alt="Earth from space" /></a><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.urthecast.com/">Urthecast</a></span></p><p class="caption">In 15 years, there could be internet access on other planets.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>In the past 15 years, widespread internet access has transformed nearly every aspect of how Americans live.</p>
<p>In that time span, Facebook has changed the way we connect with one another, Uber has made it easier for us to get from place to place, and YouTube has brought a seemingly infinite number of entertainment possibilities to our fingertips.</p>
<p>But what about the next 15 years? How will the internet change from what it is today? And more importantly, how will new advancements make our world a fundamentally different place than it was before?</p>
<p>The <a href="http://onwardinternet.com/" target="_blank">Onward, Internet</a> project, developed by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, is asking people to submit their ideas for what they'd like to see next on the internet. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Some</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> of these suggestions are a little fantastical ("</span><a href="http://onwardinternet.com/post/102884118626/suggestion-232-more-unicorns" target="_blank">more unicorns</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"!), while others are more practical ("<a href="http://onwardinternet.com/post/104105837823/suggestion-2345-protect-my-bank-codes-better-for" target="_blank">protect my bank codes better</a>"). </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">We did our own research on what experts predict the internet will look like 5, 10, and 15 years from now.</span></p>
<p>In general, we can expect the internet to continue expanding to places it has never been accessible before: far-off, rural locations around the world, inside our household appliances, maybe even on Mars. </p>
<p>Here's what we learned:</p>
<h2><strong>In 5 years ...</strong></h2>
<p>Five years from now, everyone in the world will be able to use the internet, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/eric-schmidts-bold-internet-prediction-2013-4">predicted in 2013</a>.</p>
<p>Here in the US, 87% of the adult population<a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/data-trend/internet-use/internet-use-over-time/" target="_blank"> is already online</a>, up from 66% in 2005.</p>
<p>In the coming years, nonprofit organizations and internet service providers will work to sign up the remaining 13% of Americans through programs like <a href="http://everyoneon.org/about/c2c/" target="_blank">Connect2Compete</a>, a partnership between the nonprofit EveryoneOn and several major cable companies that allows low-income families to purchase broadband service at a reduced rate.</p>
<p>And while we think of the internet today as something we access from computing devices like laptops and smartphones, in five years, billions of household items from washing machines to door locks will have internet connectivity.</p>
<p>For instance, your refrigerator might have sensors on it that can figure out when you're running low on milk, and that can then use the internet to send an alert to your smartphone. Pretty cool, right?</p>
<p>The technology research firm Gartner expects the so-called "Internet of Things" to grow from the fewer than 1 billion connected objects that existed in 2009 to<a href="http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2636073" target="_blank"> more than 25 billion in 2020</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the investment bank Morgan Stanley estimates that number wind up being <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/75-billion-devices-will-be-connected-to-the-internet-by-2020-2013-10#ixzz3Il8nN9oB">as high as 75 billion</a>.</p>
<h2><strong>In 10 years ...</strong></h2>
<p>People will be so connected via the internet that they will be able to create new digital "nations" with other people who share their interests, early internet pioneer David Hughes predicted in<a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/03/11/digital-life-in-2025/"> a report published by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project</a>.</p>
<p>As a result, Hughes says, traditional countries could have less influence over the people within their geographic boundaries.</p>
<p>University of Michigan associate professor Nicole Ellison predicts that all this connectivity will also make the world a more empathetic place.</p>
<p>Ellison <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/03/11/the-more-hopeful-theses/" target="_blank">tells the Pew Research Center</a> that the internet will make people living in the developed world more aware of how difficult it is for people living elsewhere to find food, health care, clean water, and education.</p>
<p>As a result, she says, people in developed nations will be inspired to work even harder to help solve these problems.</p>
<h2><strong>In 15 years ...</strong></h2>
<p>Learning will be easier than ever, predicts Matt Mead, the chief investment officer of Nesta, a UK charity focused on innovation.</p>
<p>In<a href="http://www.grant-thornton.co.uk/Global/Publication_pdf/Thinking-Newsletter-Dec-2013.pdf" target="_blank"> a report published by the accounting firm Grant Thornton</a>, Mead writes that educators will use widespread internet access to teach students more effectively.</p>
<p>He says that teachers will be able to use virtual schools to give students the information they need, and that machine-learning technology will help teachers personalize the lessons on these websites based on students' strengths and weaknesses.</p>
<p>And Earth might not be the only place where the internet will make it easier to obtain information. According to io9's George Dvorsky, there very well could be <a href="http://io9.com/10-mindblowingly-futuristic-technologies-that-will-appe-673136756">internet access on Mars</a> by 2030.</p>
<p>While that might sound like something out of science fiction, NASA is planning for interplanetary internet connections right now. In<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/nov/HQ_12-391_DTN.html"> a 2012 test</a>, International Space Station commander Sunita Williams controlled a robot located on the ground in Germany while she was in space.</p>
<p>You can submit your own suggestion for the future of the internet <a href="http://onwardinternet.com/" target="_blank">at the Onward, Internet site</a>.</p>
<p><em>This post is sponsored by the <a href="https://www.ncta.com/" target="_blank">NCTA</a>.</em></p>
<p>Find out <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sponsor-posts" target="_blank">more about Sponsored Content</a>.</p></body></html>

Here's what the internet will look like in 5, 10, and 15 years

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5419bd3e6bb3f7bd6a8e9648-1200-800/rtx16v24-1.jpg" border="0" alt="astronaut nasa spacewalk"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/NASA</span></p><p class="caption">Astronaut Mike Hopkins as he participates in the second of two spacewalks which took place on December 24, 2013.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Living in a world with microgravity where you're just inches from exposure to the vacuum of outer space can have a profound influence on the human body.</p><p>Most astronauts only spend six months at a time in that environment on the International Space Station (ISS), floating 250 miles above the Earth.</p><p>On March 27 however, NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency sent three astronauts to the ISS - they will be the first people to spend a continuous year in space.</p><p>Tests performed on these astronauts will get us closer to understanding what could happen on longer space exploration missions, like visiting Mars - a journey that will take at least six months each way.</p><p>It may not sound like a long time, but this year-long trip is not for the faint of heart. Scientists know a few things about what a 6-month stay in microgravity does to the human body, some of which are downright disturbing:</p><h3><strong>1. It stretches out your spine</strong></h3><p>Astronauts can grow up to <a href="http://www.space.com/19116-astronauts-taller-space-spines.html" target="_parent">3% taller</a> in space. That means that a 6-foot-tall astronaut could tack on an extra two inches. </p><p>The growth spurt happens because microgravity allows the squishy spinal discs between vertebra freedom to relax and expand - almost like relieving pressure on a spring. It takes a few months to return to normal height after they get back to Earth.</p><h3><strong>2. It turns your muscles into jelly</strong></h3><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5511880ceab8eaa3755109c0-946-710/674654main_iss032e011701_wp_946-710.jpg" border="0" alt="astronaut exercising" style="color: #000000;"><p class="source"><span>NASA</span></p><p class="caption">Astronaut Sunita Williams exercises on board the ISS. </p></img></div><p></p></div></div>You don't need muscles to support you in a weightless environment. Astronauts' muscles almost immediately start shrinking and shedding the extra tissue that they no longer need.</p><p>That's why exercise is crucial on the ISS so astronauts can maintain the muscle mass they need when they return to Earth.</p><p>They usually budget about two hours a day for exercise. That includes "weight lifting" using a special resistance machine, since a freeweight weighs nothing in zero gravity. You can see the crazy contraption used to do squats below:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5515cb1f6bb3f7d36d8e52ef/weightlifting in space.gif" border="0" alt="weightlifting in space"><p class="source"><span>YouTube/NASA</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p><h3><strong>3. It makes your face puffy</strong></h3><p>Our bodies are mostly liquid. The gravity on Earth pulls that liquid down and some of it pools in our lower extremities. In near zero-g the liquid is spread out more evenly around the body, so astronauts' faces look <a href="http://education.jsc.nasa.gov/explorers/p3.html" target="_parent">puffier than normal</a> while their legs look skinnier than normal.</p><p>After a few weeks the body adjusts to the gravity change and some of the puffiness goes down.</p><h3><strong>4. It thins out your bone density</strong></h3><p>Astronauts can <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbmr.1647/abstract" target="_parent">lose around 1%</a> of their bone density every month they spend in space if they don't regularly exercise. It makes them a lot more likely to break bones when they're back on Earth - similar to people who have osteoporosis.</p><p>Exercise and good nutrition is crucial for minimizing this effect. It will be especially important for the astronauts spending a full year in space.</p><h3><strong>5. It can cause vision problems</strong></h3><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55118d18eab8ea65075109c2-1200-800/iss036e006520.jpg" border="0" alt="astronaut vision" style="color: #000000;" /></div></div></div>A <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/Astronaut_Vision.html" target="_parent">2013 study</a> examined the eyes of 27 astronauts who had spent an average of 108 days on board the ISS. NASA researchers found that many of them had eye abnormalities after returning from space. MRI scans showed that nine of the astronauts had bloating around their optic nerves and six of the astronauts had eyeballs that were physically flattened out in the back. </p><p>This is definitely cause for concern, but none of the astronauts have reported any serious trouble seeing. NASA is conducting a more comprehensive follow up study.</p><h3><strong>6. It messes with your immune system </strong></h3><p>Living in space can depress astronauts' immune systems, according to a <a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/jir.2013.0129" target="_parent">study published in 2014</a>.</p><p>"Things like radiation, microbes, stress, microgravity, altered sleep cycles and isolation could all have an effect on crew member immune systems," Brian Crucian, NASA biological studies and immunology expert, who led the study, <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/content/study-reveals-immune-system-is-dazed-and-confused-during-spaceflight/index.html#.U_ZHkLxdWp_">said in a statement</a>. "If this situation persisted for longer deep space missions, it could possibly increase risk of infection, hypersensitivity, or autoimmune issues for exploration astronauts."</p><p>That means the astronauts planning to spend a year in space may be more likely to get sick.</p><p>The study found that astronauts' depressed immune system also meant that old, latent viruses like chicken pox can be reawakened, even though no symptoms have shown up in astronauts living in space so far.<em> </em></p><p>Some immune cells collected from astronauts living in space were actually overly aggressive instead of depressed, and might explain why some astronauts get rashes and other allergic reactions.</p><h3><strong>7. It screws up your sleep cycle</strong></h3><p>Astronauts have to strap themselves into sleeping bags every night. In microgravity their heads roll forward and their arms float up once they fall asleep.</p><p>The weird position is hard to get used to.</p><p>"Sometimes you wake up in the morning to see an arm floating in front of your face and think, "Whoa! What is that?" until you realize it's yours," astronaut Marsha Ivins told <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/11/marsha-ivins/" target="_parent">Wired</a>. </p><p>But there are many other disturbances that make it challenging to get quality sleep in space. Brilliant flashes of light that can illuminate the space station every time streams of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ams-cosmic-rays-dark-matter-detection-2014-9">cosmic rays</a> shoot by.</p><p>Now astronauts have individual sleeping pods that help shut out some of that light. Still, <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(14)70122-X/abstract" target="_parent">studies</a> have found that most astronauts are only getting about six hours of sleep even though their schedules call for eight and a half hours.</p><h3><strong>8. It throws off your coordination </strong></h3><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/525052a6eab8ea4a60d59776-1200-546/george%20clooney%20gravity.png" border="0" alt="george clooney gravity" style="color: #000000;"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l47k_txhitg">Gravity trailer / Warner Bros.</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>It's a struggle returning to Earth after spending 6 months in microgravity. Astronauts lose their definitive sense of up and down while they're in space because the vestibular system can't tell where the ceiling is and where the ground is in a weightless environment.</p><p>Eventually the body re calibrates, but astronauts are a little shaky on their feet at first.</p><h3>9. It messes with your senses</h3><p>Pressure changes in space and so fluids shift around in the body. The same effect that makes astronauts' faces puffy also makes them congested.</p><p>"It's the same as having a cold or allergies," astronaut and physician Scott Parazynski told <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/taste-changes-in-space/" target="_parent">Scientific American</a>. "A stuffy nose definitely dampens your sense of smell and consequently your sense of taste."</p><p>Many astronauts have reported that flavors are much more dull in microgravity, so they crave food with a lot of extra flavoring and spice to make up for the bland taste. Food and drink that rely on a sense of smell to bring out the flavor, like coffee, are disappointing in space.</p><h3>10. It takes a toll on your psyche</h3><p>On the ISS astronauts are literally a world away from anything familiar, and it's not like they can pack up and leave any time they want.</p><p>Astronauts undergo a rigorous psychological screening before they can even start training for space. Still, feelings of isolation and confinement are a <a href="http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4225/long-duration/long.htm" target="_parent">big risk</a>. Combine that with sleep deprivation, the absence of the comfort of gravity, and dulled senses, and you can begin to imagine the psychological toll long-term spaceflight can take.</p><p>Many astronauts have described it as the hardest thing they have ever done.</p><h3>11. It makes nutrition a challenge</h3><p>Not getting the right nutrients can make almost all of the above effects even worse.</p><p>Vitamin D is a concern for astronauts because they're not exposed to sunlight and it's easy to wind up with a deficiency, according to Sara Zwart, a senior scientist at NASA who studies the nutrition effects of long-term spaceflight.</p><p>Specifically, oxidative stress is much greater in space, so astronauts need a lot of antioxidants, Zwart told Business Insider. Spaceflight also changes iron metabolism. Astronauts have elevated iron levels because their red blood cell mass decreases.</p><p>Astronauts track their food intake every week to make sure they maintain the right levels of nutrients. Usually iron levels return to normal after a few months back on Earth.</p><h3>12. It exposes you to dangerous cosmic radiation</h3><p>Cosmic radiation will not give you super powers like in "The Fantastic Four." A dose of it can tear through your very DNA, and that damage can lead to cancer, cataracts, or other diseases.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/50c8b667eab8eae869000008-575-409/herculesa.jpg" border="0" alt="cosmic rays from supermassive black hole"><p class="source"><span><a href="www.space.com/18861-hercules-a-galaxy-radio-jets.html">NASA, ESA, S. Baum and C. O'Dea (RIT), R. Perley and W. Cotton (NRAO/AUI/NSF), and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) </a></span></p><p class="caption">Cosmic rays carry huge doses of radiation.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Earth's atmosphere acts as a force field that shields us from 99% of cosmic radiation, but astronauts don't have the same kind of protection in space. Radiation risk increases by a factor of about 30, according to the <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Lessons_online/Radiation_and_life" target="_parent">European Space Agency</a>.</p><p>Astronauts wear dosimeters while on board the ISS that measure how much radiation they are exposed to. Their careers as astronauts are limited based on their exposure.</p><p><strong>Scientists don't know much about what will happen beyond six consecutive months in space.</strong> Some of the effects may stay the same, some could worsen, or we may see new effects. NASA's year-long space mission will be crucial to understanding the risks of long-term manned missions to the moon or Mars.</p><p>Still, all of this is much better than if you somehow found yourself free floating outside the space station without a spacesuit where scientists predict you only have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-to-a-human-body-in-space-2015-3" target="_parent">two minutes before you're dead</a>.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/alexander-gersts-space-time-lapse-2014-12">An Astronaut Compressed 6 Months In Space Into This Amazing Time-Lapse</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BmMHhpcjpiDPmuDrWshqVvYcEJ-9d_hM" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'BmMHhpcjpiDPmuDrWshqVvYcEJ-9d_hM',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You Searched For "sunita williams in space" and got 7 results

This veteran NASA astronaut has tried SpaceX and Boeing's new spaceships and spacesuits - here's what she thinks

Dave Mosher

This seasoned NASA astronaut wore SpaceX and Boeing's new spacesuits - here's what she thinks of them

Dave Mosher

NASA is naming 8 astronauts to fly SpaceX and Boeing's new spaceships - here's how to watch the announcement live

Dave Mosher

SpaceX may launch its new spaceship for NASA in March - a vital test that will show it can safely fly astronauts

Dave Mosher

NASA just announced the 4 astronauts who'll jumpstart the mission that will take us to Mars

Jessica Orwig

Here's what the internet will look like in 5, 10, and 15 years

Sponsor Post

The insane ways the human body changes during long-term spaceflight

Kelly Dickerson