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NASA Splits $1.1B For Three Commercial Spacecraft

Posted by Soulskill on from the paying-others-to-do-the-heavy-lifting dept.

coondoggie writes "NASA today continued its development of commercial space systems by splitting a little over $1.1 billion with Boeing, Space Exploration Technologies (Space X) and Sierra Nevada to develop and build advanced spaceships. 'Today's awards give a huge advantage to the three companies that got them, because competitors will need to fund their own development in its entirety. On the other hand, by partnering with the competitors, NASA has managed to seed the development of five different manned space vehicles for under $1B so far, a leap forward for the evolving space passenger market. They've paid for it on a reward-for-progress basis, handing out pre-agreed amounts of money for each specified milestone. SpaceX was well ahead of the other two competitors because of the unmanned Dragon, which has already berthed with the International Space Station. The company has borne the brunt of the development costs itself, putting in about $300 million of its own money in addition to about $75 million from NASA.'"

1 of 184 comments (clear)

  1. Attention unemployed geeks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Attention leftist free software hippies!

    Hows that free Obamacare colonoscopy going?

    Iran marching toward a nuclear weapon

    Egypt and Libya handed over to the Islamists on a silver platter

    45% increase in debt.

    Regulatory policies strangling business

    That perfect health care for all, casuing businesses to not hire and drop coverage to put more people on the dole.

    Unemployment above 8%

    GDP Growth below 2%

    Changed his mind four times on that OBL kill, which was set up by the hardwork of Bush, Bush worked 8 strong, Obama got the save.

    Domestic energy production hamstrung, while billions of tax dollars wasted on masturbatory green energy companies, run by his cronies.

    A racist running the Justice Department.

    Hundreds of Mexican citizens and a US law enforcement officer dead because of Obama/Holder's agenda on guns.

    Photo ID laws being challenged because they interfered with typical Democrat voters, the Dead and Illegal Aliens.

    Chrysler bondholders screwed out of their money so the UAW could receive a giant wad of cash in the illegal government takeover of the Auto industry.........

    Yeah, he's a raving success.