NASA has been working with Boeing and SpaceX to build capsules to deliver NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. This program is called the Commercial Crew Program and has been going on for some time now. The program has been long delayed, primarily due to ensuring the safety of the astronauts. However, the program is supposed to be in the home stretch with astronauts launching to the space station within a year. Most recently, the program has been conducting tests to ensure the parachutes will deploy properly.
Unfortunately, for SpaceX, the most recent parachute test did not go well. The intent of the test was to demonstrate if a single parachute failed, the remaining parachutes would be able to land the capsule just fine and the astronauts would be unharmed. Alas, the test showed the sled was significantly damaged and astronauts, had they been riding along, would have been harmed. This follows the very serious setback for SpaceX where a Crew Dragon capsule exploded and was destroyed during a pad test of its thruster engines.
Boeing, on the other hand, had a successful parachute test. Boeing's capsule is known as the Starliner. The Starliner's first launch is scheduled for August and currently remains on schedule. This latest test supports that.
The purpose of developing these capsules is to end the dependence on the Russians and their Soyuz capsules to get to the Space Station. The Russians are not exactly friends of the US with the end of the PostCold War Era. The Russian rockets also have significant safety issues as well: one exploded with astronauts and cosmonauts onboard.
Crew Dragon parachutes failed in recent test
https://spacenews.com/crew-dragon-parachutes-failed-in-recent-test/
Boeing shows off its Starliner's latest parachute test
https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/10/starliner-parachute-test/
Soyuz MS-10 launch failure
