NASA partners with commercial companies to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation of cargo and crew members to and from the International Space Station. Human Transportation NASA’s Commercial Crew Program provides systems capable of carrying astronauts to low Earth orbit and the space station through industry partners who design, build, test, and operate these systems. Crew members provide hands-on operation of scientific research is one of the unique advantages of the orbiting laboratory. The spacecraft launches on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force