NASA Commercial Crew Program Astronauts
NASA has selected its first four Commercial Crew Program astronauts. NASA

Manned launches will return to the United States in 2017 with the help of commercial space companies SpaceX and Boeing. NASA's Commercial Crew Program will see two new spacecraft ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station and, by the 2030s, to Mars. Robert Behnken, Sunita Williams, Eric Boe and Douglas Hurley were announced as the first four astronauts of the Commercial Crew Program.

The four astronauts will begin training for the first launches on American soil since the space shuttle was retired in 2011. NASA astronauts currently rely on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft and pays $70 million per seat for a ride to the International Space Station.

"President Obama has made it very clear that returning the launches of American astronauts to American soil is a top priority – and he has persistently supported this initiative in his budget requests to Congress," Charles Bolden, NASA administrator, said in a statement. "Had we received everything he asked for, we’d be preparing to send these astronauts to space on commercial carriers as soon as this year." Bolden noted 2017 is the target date for the return of manned launches.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Boeing's CST-100 were selected to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. SpaceX was awarded a $2.6 billion contract while Boeing was awarded a $4.2 billion contract. Each spacecraft is undergoing testing prior to spaceflight certification. SpaceX completed a pad abort test in May while Boeing is planning a pad abort test for February 2017. NASA is developing the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System for deep space exploration.

Robert L. Behnken

Behnken calls St. Ann, Missouri, home and enjoys mountain hiking and skiing. The Air Force colonel received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Behnken flew on two space shuttle missions -- STS-123 in March 2008 and STS-130 in February 2010 -- and has performed six spacewalks. He has logged 708 hours in space.

Sunita Williams

Williams hails from Needham, Massachusetts, and enjoys running, swimming, biking, triathlons, snowboarding and bow hunting. She was selected to be a part of NASA's astronaut corps in 1998 and served on two expeditions aboard the International Space Station. Williams was a crew member for Expedition 14/15 and Expedition 32/33, completed seven spacewalks and holds the record for total spacewalk time by a woman with 50 hours, 40 minutes. She has spent 322 days in space and was the astronaut Stephen Colbert talked to about getting the treadmill named after him.

Eric A. Boe

Boe grew up in Atlanta and has two children. The U.S. Air Force colonel enjoys outdoor sports, reading and scuba diving. Boe was selected to be a NASA astronaut in July 2000 and served as a pilot on two space shuttle missions -- STS-126 Endeavour in November 2008 and STS-133 (Feb. 24-March 9, 2011).

Douglas G. Hurley

Hurley loves to hunt and attend Nascar races. Hailing from Apalachin, New York, the retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel joined NASA in 2000. Hurley completed two spaceflights as pilot -- STS-127, International Space Station Assembly Mission 2J/A, Endeavour, in July 2009, and STS-135/ULF7 in July 2011.

Spacex