NASA selects Boeing and SpaceX for commercial crew contracts
Posted: Tue, Sep 16, 2014, 10:32 PM ET (0232 GMT)
NASA awarded contracts valued at $6.8 billion Tuesday to Boeing and SpaceX to develop vehicles that will transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts cover the development and certification of crew vehicles, including at least one test flight to the ISS; the contracts also include at least two, and as many as six, operational flights to the station once certified. Boeing's contract is valued at $4.2 billion and SpaceX's at $2.6 billion, although NASA officials said the scope of the contracts is the same. Boeing has been developing the CST-100 spacecraft that launches on an Atlas 5, while SpaceX has been working on a crewed version of its Dragon spacecraft that launches on a Falcon 9. NASA's goal is to have the vehicles certified by the end of 2017, but officials said that crew safety will take precedence over schedule. The contract announcement is a setback for Sierra Nevada Corporation, which sought an award for its Dream Chaser vehicle.
NASA awarded contracts valued at $6.8 billion Tuesday to Boeing and SpaceX to develop vehicles that will transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts cover the development and certification of crew vehicles, including at least one test flight to the ISS; the contracts also include at least two, and as many as six, operational flights to the station once certified. Boeing's contract is valued at $4.2 billion and SpaceX's at $2.6 billion, although NASA officials said the scope of the contracts is the same. Boeing has been developing the CST-100 spacecraft that launches on an Atlas 5, while SpaceX has been working on a crewed version of its Dragon spacecraft that launches on a Falcon 9. NASA's goal is to have the vehicles certified by the end of 2017, but officials said that crew safety will take precedence over schedule. The contract announcement is a setback for Sierra Nevada Corporation, which sought an award for its Dream Chaser vehicle.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
US and UK militaries conduct coordinated satellite maneuvers
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:30 AM ET (1230 GMT) Blue Origin retires a New Shepard capsule after payload flight
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:25 AM ET (1225 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, October 10
NASA and Blue Origin are about to launch two spacecraft to Mars
BBC — 7:17 am ET (1117 GMT) U.S. Space Force Sets Next SDA Launch For Oct. 14
Aviation Week — 7:13 am ET (1113 GMT) JD Vance Should Take the Moon Shot
National Review — 7:12 am ET (1112 GMT) Kazakhstan’s first woman space tourist returns to Earth
Kursiv Media — 7:10 am ET (1110 GMT) First Kazakh Woman in Space Returns to Earth on Blue Origin Flight
The Times of Central Asia — 7:09 am ET (1109 GMT) |
