Boeing, SpaceX awarded contracts to build spacecraft for NASA

[Shawn Knight]

NASA has awarded contracts worth a combined $6.8 billion to Boeing and SpaceX to develop spacecraft designed to send astronauts into space. The news means the space agency will no longer have to rely on Russia’s Soyuz capsules to transport Americans to and from the International Space Station.

Specifically, Boeing will receive $4.2 billion with SpaceX getting the remaining $2.6 billion in funding over the next three years. Boeing will continue to refine its CST-100 capsule while Elon Musk’s startup will make improvements to its Dragon V2 capsule.

Musk said his company was deeply honored by the trust NASA has placed in them. He added that this is a vital step in a journey that will ultimately take us to the stars and make humanity a multi-planet species.

According to NASA boss Charles Bolden, the spacecraft will need to meet the same rigorous safety standards the agency had for their space shuttle program. Part of the certification process includes successfully sending an astronaut to the space station.

Once certified, the companies will be responsible for anywhere between two to six flights to the space station loaded with a crew of four NASA astronauts.

If you recall, NASA retired its fleet of space shuttles back in 2011. Last year, the agency signed a new deal to rent seats on Russia’s Soyuz capsules at $70.7 million per seat. The $424 million deal is good through 2017 and guarantees six seats aboard the capsules.

Both companies have until 2017 to produce their respective spacecraft.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/58096-boeing-spacex-awarded-contracts-to-build-spacecraft-for-nasa.html

 

[wastedkill]

$6.8Billion that out of the 15trillion debt they owe?

 

[VitalyT]

If NASA surrenders building space shuttles to a subcontractor - then what good is it as a space agency?

With this approach, if space hasn't become all-business yet, I imagine that it soon will.

 

[VitalyT]

$6.8Billion that out of the 15trillion debt they owe?

They were never meant to be profitable. But where does this figure come from? Links?

 

[davislane1]

$6.8Billion that out of the 15trillion debt they owe?

They were never meant to be profitable. But where does this figure come from? Links?

I think he's referencing the overall U.S. national debt. In which case, he's about two trillion short: http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us

 

[GeforcerFX]

If NASA surrenders building space shuttles to a subcontractor - then what good is it as a space agency?

With this approach, if space hasn't become all-business yet, I imagine that it soon will.

NASA did not build the space shuttle Rockwell did, Rockwell contracted parts out to sub contractors as well. Nasa had more say in design phase on the shuttle then these systems but NASA used to have a lot more engineers back then, now they all work for 3rd parties.

 

[wiyosaya]

If NASA surrenders building space shuttles to a subcontractor - then what good is it as a space agency?

With this approach, if space hasn't become all-business yet, I imagine that it soon will.

The point is to free NASA to do the stuff no one in their right mind in business world would do because there is no profit in it - reach out beyond the Earth for places like Mars and beyond.

 

[wiyosaya]

If NASA surrenders building space shuttles to a subcontractor - then what good is it as a space agency?

With this approach, if space hasn't become all-business yet, I imagine that it soon will.

Check out what Neil deGrasse Tyson has to say about space exploration...

 

[Guest]

"...rigorous safety standards the agency had for their space shuttle program" = LOL, how many deaths?

The Space Shuttle was a terrible program. The idea of a completely reusable craft is flawed. The older Saturn rockets delivered people far more safely into space without strapping them UNDERNEATH a bomb waiting to go off. They were literally ABOVE the fuel and had a chance of survival far greater than the ridiculous and idealistically designed shuttles. Shuttles may be great IN space, but not getting into and back from. Certainly their desire to keep them reusable was crazy, hand carved foam, replacing tiles etc etc.

How about Elon Musk just creates the worlds largest Rubber Band and fires craft up with zero rocket? How about we actually develop the Space Elevator? Nah, let's give it to Boeing, who have a chronic record of having information hacked and stolen by the Chinese.

US will spend BILLIONS and the Chinese will steal the plans from Boeing and do it for less than 10%, and probably with far less causalities.

 

[Guest]

Considering all the manufacturing violations Boeing does with its planes, that rust and break in three parts in just a few years after making, I wouldn't want to be a spaceman on their ship.

 

[captaincranky]

Considering all the manufacturing violations Boeing does with its planes, that rust and break in three parts in just a few years after making, I wouldn't want to be a spaceman on their ship.

Not to mention the fact that I'm almost certain you never, could, would, or ever can be.