Georgia Tech astronaut among 9 picked for NASA's first commercial flights

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has assigned the astronauts who will ride the first commercial capsules into orbit next year and bring human launches back to the U.S.

SpaceX and Boeing are shooting for a test flight of their capsules to the International Space Station by the end of this year or early next, with the first crews flying from Cape Canaveral, Florida, by next spring or summer.

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The astronauts assigned to the first flights gathered Friday at Johnson Space Center in Houston for the announcement.

One of the astronauts is Eric Boe, a graduate of Henderson High School in Chamblee and Georgia Tech.

Boe, 53, has been an astronaut with NASA since 2000.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Cox Media Group