NASA has partnered with SpaceX and The Boeing Company to test and simulate a new capsule that could conceivably be launched into space, according to the NASA website.

Although it is still in the testing phase, NASA is projecting that the program will start launching Americans into space by 2017. This would put an end to American reliance on Russia to reach space for its own endeavors and put commercial space travel possibly into the near-future market.

NASA announced that their partner SpaceX undertook testing today for their Crew Dragon capsule, to simulate an escape from an emergency launch. This was considered an important step in certifying this technology, with safety as its No. 1 priority.

It also announced that this commercial program, as well as the commercial crew, are a critical component to its goals of reaching Mars. It will help them develop new technologies such as solar electric propulsion and radiation shielding so they can venture even further into the solar system.

NASA has also claimed that its investment into the commercial program is helping grow the economy, adding new high-paying jobs and producing new technologies that may be able to go to market for its commercial partners. NASA spoke of the innovations, such as those being produced by its commercial partners, and how it will bring even more bright futures to the economy.

It claims that its ambitions will help maintain a presence at the International Space Station and other endeavors, such as sending human beings to an asteroid by 2025 and the goal of reaching Mars by 2030. NASA claims that Wednesday's test of the Crew Dragon capsule has given the group continued hope and brings them closer to achieving these goals and possibly more.

"This is a critical step toward ensuring crew safety for government and commercial endeavors in low-Earth orbit," said Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program in regards to the Crew Dragon demonstration. "Congratulations to SpaceX on what appears to have been a successful test on the company's road toward achieving NASA certification of the Crew Dragon spacecraft for missions to and from the International Space Station."

For more announcements about this program, go to the NASA Blog.