NASA announced on Monday that it will allow Space X to ferry astronauts from Earth to the International Space Station within the next couple of years. NASA said that it has ordered the first, and only, commercial space crew mission from SpaceX.

SpaceX is a private spaceflight company owned by Elon Musk, who also owns the electric car manufacturer Tesla. SpaceX is now working on its first space taxi mission to send a crew of astronauts via its own version of the Dragon capsule. The mission will be initiated in 2017.

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According to Wired, the Crew Dragon capsule can hold up to seven people. The capsule has a set of thrusters that it uses to land. This is a different approach compared to the traditional method of landing into the ocean.

Although the final details of the SpaceX commercial space mission are yet to be finalized, experts on the matter claim that the mission will send four crew members at most into the International Space Station. The crew will reach the orbital platform via a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Pad 39A located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement, "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. When Crew Dragon takes Nasa astronauts to the space station in 2017, they will be riding in one of the safest, most reliable spacecraft ever flown."

Since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011, NASA has been using the Russian Soyuz capsules in sending crew into the International Space Station.

According to Space, SpaceX is currently competing with Boeing for who will have the honor of launching the first private mission to the International Space Station.

TagsNASA, SpaceX, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, International Space Station, SpaceX NASA, SpaceX space, dragon capsule, Crew Dragon, Crew Dragon capsule, NASA SpaceX ISS