As SpaceX's Dragon
heads back to the International Space Station today with necessary supplies, such as spacesuit batteries and 3D printers, the company is slated to take a much larger role in the U.S. space program. NASA has named Boeing and SpaceX as the two suppliers of spacecraft to take U.S astronauts in to low-Earth orbit. Earlier last week
NASA announced its selection of the two companies for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contracts, stating:
...today we are one step closer to launching our astronauts from U.S. soil
on American spacecraft and ending the nation’s sole reliance on Russia
by 2017. Turning over low-Earth orbit transportation to private industry
will also allow NASA to focus on an even more ambitious mission –
sending humans to Mars.
Boeing received the larger contract of $4.2 billion, but SpaceX is also getting $2.6 billion. Yes, it is playing second fiddle to Boeing, but it is now in the big leagues and I can only see it getting better for SpaceX and hopefully other small companies in the future.
SpaceX announced:
SpaceX is deeply honored by the trust NASA has placed in us, and we
welcome today’s decision and the mission it advances with gratitude and
seriousness of purpose. Under the $2.6 billion contract, SpaceX will
launch the Crew Dragon spacecraft atop the Falcon 9 launch vehicle from
Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
