NASA to announce private space shuttle deal

Top Cat · Sep 16, 2014

[h=2]NASA will make a "major announcement" later Tuesday about its plans to partner with the private sector to transport astronauts to the international space station.[/h]The space agency said it will hold a news conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4 p.m. ET to discuss "the return of human spaceflight launches to the United States," according to a brief statement on its website.NASA ended its Space Shuttle program in 2011 amid funding concerns and a shift in priorities to exploring deep space.
Under its Commercial Crew Program, NASA is expected to award a contract to one or more private aerospace companies to shuttle astronauts back and forth to the space station.
Since the shuttle program was retired, NASA crewmembers have been hitching rides on Russian Soyuz spacecraft, at a cost of $70 million per seat, according to a NASA spokeswoman. The agency typically purchases six seats per year.
The contract to be announced Tuesday will be difficult to compare with the current arrangement, since it will involve "additional capabilities," such as development and certification programs, as well as shuttle services, the spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman could not comment on which companies might be awarded the potentially lucrative contract.
The leading contender is Boeing (BA), according to the Wall Street Journal. Other bidders include SpaceX, which is backed by Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk, and Sierra Nevada Corp.
NASA could award contracts to multiple companies, the spokesperson said.

NASA to unveil a partnership with the private sector to send astronauts into space - Sep. 16, 2014

Very interesting...I can see it now, The US Space Shuttle, brought to you by Boeing.

Helix · Sep 16, 2014

courtesy of the new cold war.

oh well, at least we'll have shuttles again. maybe we should go back to doing that instead of endless war.

Ikari · Sep 16, 2014

Helix said:
courtesy of the new cold war.

oh well, at least we'll have shuttles again. maybe we should go back to doing that instead of endless war.

You mean scientific endeavor over infinity war? Perish the thought.

Fiddytree · Sep 16, 2014

Top Cat said:
Very interesting...I can see it now, The US Space Shuttle, brought to you by Boeing.

What will be interesting from here on out, again, is to what extent people like Musk will complain that future bidding process were inherently anti-competitive.

Helix · Sep 16, 2014

Ikari said:
You mean scientific endeavor over infinity war? Perish the thought.

listening to the radio news on the way home, i heard two stories. one was about the next thirty years war, and the next was about lack of funding for the NIH and how that was resulting in less research. i had to turn off the radio.

Deuce · Sep 16, 2014

Top Cat said:
NASA to unveil a partnership with the private sector to send astronauts into space - Sep. 16, 2014

Very interesting...I can see it now, The US Space Shuttle, brought to you by Boeing.

And if it goes as well as other Boeing contracts, we'll only end up paying a few extra billion dollars to rent a shuttle versus what we would have paid to purchase it completely! Woo!

apdst · Sep 17, 2014

Does this mean NASA is getting out of the Muslim outreach business?

NASA to announce private space shuttle deal

Top Cat

He's the most tip top

Helix

Ikari

Fiddytree

Neocon Elitist

Helix

Deuce

Outer space potato man

apdst

NASA to announce private space shuttle deal

Top Cat

He's the most tip top

Helix

Ikari

Fiddytree

Neocon Elitist

Helix

Deuce

Outer space potato man

apdst

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