NASA adds 3rd company to list of space station shippers

Commercial companies will deliver more than just cargo to the space station beginning in 2017.

According to NASA, the contracts are created to obtain cargo delivery services to the space station, disposal of unneeded cargo, and the return of research samples and other cargo from the station back to NASA.

Shireman said those CRS contracts would be further extended to provide additional cargo flights until the CRS-2 missions begin in late 2019.

On Thursday, NASA announced that Sierra Nevada joined SpaceX and Orbital ATK in winning the cargo contract, potentially worth billions. “We thank NASA, the Administration and Congress for recognizing the importance of this vital program by supporting the CRS2 contract”. For the upcoming mission, Cygnus will deliver approximately 3,500 kilograms (7,700 pounds) of cargo to the ISS.

“This is exciting news for NASA, Sierra Nevada, and Huntsville”, said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle in a statement. After that, NASA hopes the private space industry will “take over” low-Earth orbit with a smaller, successor space station or orbiting module. As a result of these two failures, and to safeguard against future mishaps, NASA now requires each of the carriers to carry insurance as part of the contract. Thursday. It also will continue working with SpaceX and Orbital ATK, which have both flown several resupply missions. “But that is exactly what is happening”, said NASA administrator Charles Bolden.

The Dream Chaser would allow NASA to reclaim some of its space shuttle heritage. Determined to see their winged space plane fly, SNC changed their focus from crew to cargo. While NASA said Dream Chaser would likely land in Florida, it has the capability to land on any runway that can accommodate a Boeing 737 jet.

“This competition is quite a bit bigger than the one we lost – we came back and won a contract that has a $14 billion potential to it”.

“This will ensure that we can keep the [International Space Station] fully stocked for crew… to fully utilize the ISS as a laboratory”, Kirk Shireman of NASA said. To this extent, SNC will run at least 6 cargo delivery missions to the ISS using its Dream Chaser Cargo System. SpaceX can return their Dragon capsule to land within three hours or drop it in the ocean within six hours.

Dividing the newest contract among three companies falls in line with NASA’s vision to make the ISS accessible to to everyone. And there wasn’t a lot of time to create another version of the vehicle.

Vehicles connect to the space station in one of two ways: berthing or docking. Docking ports are barely larger than a human, while berthing ports are much larger and can support more massive payloads. NASA will be able to order specific missions as it needs them.

Huntsville’s long-term plan is to entice the aerospace business and research communities with the possibilities Dream Chaser offers and the expertise in managing space science available in the city. Right now, it only holds six.

ATK Launch Systems and SpaceX have each been contracted to develop prototype rocket engines for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.