Space Transportation Programs 

NASA’s space transportation main goal is to transport U.S. crew and cargo safely to and from space, including the nation’s national laboratory in low Earth orbit (LEO), the International Space Station (ISS). NASA’s space transportation includes the crew and cargo program and the commercial crew program, which are defined below.

CREW AND CARGO PROGRAM

The Crew and Cargo Program provides regular crew rotations and cargo resupply missions to the ISS to improve the sustainability of human spaceflight. [1]

COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM (CCP)

The Commercial Crew Program (CCP) provides safe, reliable, and cost-effective human transportation in low-Earth orbit (LEO) by partnering with private industry. NASA identifies a need for crew transportation and interested companies are invited to design their own technologies to fit the need. NASA’s engineers and specialists then work closely with the companies to learn processes and provide input as needed.[2]

Updated by Erin Bennett, October 2022