Slashdot Mirror
NASA Orders SpaceX Crew Mission To International Space Station (nasa.gov)
An anonymous reader writes: NASA has placed its first mission order for SpaceX to launch astronauts to the International Space Station from U.S. soil. SpaceX is now in a race with Boeing, who received a similar order in May, to see which private space company can deliver astronauts to the ISS first. NASA said, "Commercial crew missions to the space station, on the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, will restore America's human spaceflight capabilities and increase the amount of time dedicated to scientific research aboard the orbiting laboratory." They anticipate dramatic reductions in cost for launching astronauts to orbit compared to similar missions aboard Russian rockets. "Each company also must successfully complete a certification process before NASA will give the final approval for flight. Each contract includes a minimum of two and a maximum potential of six missions. A standard commercial crew mission to the station will carry up to four NASA or NASA-sponsored crew members and about 220 pounds of pressurized cargo. The spacecraft will remain at the station for up to 210 days, available as an emergency lifeboat during that time."
I've always wanted to go to space using the lowest bidder AND the winner of a race. Must be The New NASA.
Funny how Boeing and SpaceX are competing for it but there is no mention of Boeing in the title. I smell bias.
At this point they're not really competing, both have been guaranteed contracts through the commercial crew program. This launch goes to SpaceX, other launches go to Boeing but the big hurdle for both is still the man rating. I imagine the road didn't get any shorter after SpaceX's launch failure and without that it's just a piece of paper.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
Funny how Boeing and SpaceX are competing for it but there is no mention of Boeing in the title. I smell bias.
You mean Americans who have subsidised Boeing with orders of magnitude more money in tax breaks over the decades than they have SpaceX... Yeah, they might be biased.
The rest of us just are probably just exited that a company is seriously attempting radical reductions in cost per unit of weight to orbit.
I would love to see Boing or any other mega-corporation attempt similar reductions in launch cost, but I doubt that will happen unless they are challenged by an outside company, like SpaceX...
Which brings me back to cheerleading for SpaceX. It's almost impossible to discuss space business without sounding like a SpaceX cheerleader.
Boeing was news back in May.