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SpaceX Gets NASA's Approval To Fly Astronauts To ISS In 2017

By R. Siva Kumar | Update Date: Nov 23, 2015 09:53 AM EST

NASA has given approval to SpaceX, the commercial spaceflight company of Elon Musk, to transport a team to the International Space Station. It is the first SpaceX mission involving the transport of astronauts. It is also a relief for the commercial space program that NASA gave its sanction in spite of a launch in June that failed and led to the loss of food, water and related materials that had been earmarked for delivery to the ISS, according to Gizmodo.

In a 2014 contract with NASA, SpaceX secured the rights to one of two guaranteed missions, according to CNN Money 

"The authority to proceed with Dragon's first operational crew mission is a significant milestone in the Commercial Crew Program and a great source of pride for the entire SpaceX team," said Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of SpaceX, according to NASA.

While the flight is supposed to be in 2017, SpaceX can begin to make preparations for the launch, ensuring that there are no failures.

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