NASA 'returns to future'for 2017 flights

(ANSA) - Rome, May 28 - NASA is preparing its "return to the future," with the signature of a contract for building the first of two space shuttles expected to take astronauts to the Space Station in 2017, six years after the last shuttle flight, officials said Thursday Thus the end of the Russian monopoly in capacity for transporting human teams into space is planned.
    NASA aims to re-acquire that capacity thanks to commercial accords with private companies such as Boeing and Space X. The first order was garnered by Boeing while for Space X, the order could arrive by the end of the year, NASA sources say.
    Thereafter, NASA underlines, one will decide which of the two space vehicles that are developed will be the first to fly.
    The order comes eight months after NASA signed a contract with Boeing and Space X to build capsules for future manned flights.
    The new space shuttles are the Crew Space Transportation (CST -100) by Boeing e the Crew Dragon capsule of Space X. The Space Station, meanwhile, almost is ready to receive them - the transfer of the Leonardo module was done expressly so as to leave the mooring free.