NASA Names Crew-14 as $946M SpaceX Deal Seals Dragon's U.S. Spaceflight Monopoly

NASA has named the crew for Crew-14 to the International Space Station, targeting a spring 2027 launch from Florida and positioning the mission around three first-time flyers. Kayla Barron will command, returning for a second stint after her 2021 debut on Crew-3; she spent 177 days in orbit, completed two spacewalks totaling more than 13 hours, and served as lead robotics operator. Chris Birch will fly as pilot, and Makoto Suwa of JAXA will be a mission specialist on his first trip. The announcement comes six days after NASA awarded SpaceX a $946 million extension covering Crew-15, Crew-16, and Crew-17, extending human spaceflight work through 2030. With Boeing’s Starliner grounded after a June 2024 troubled crewed test, Crew Dragon remains the only practical U.S. route to the ISS for now.