NASA inks commercial ISS cargo deals
In the latest announcement released by NASA on November 23, they have chosen the winners for the award of several billion dollar contracts for two commercial companies. Elon Musk’s SpaceX venture and Orbital Sciences Corporation of Virginia are the names of the companies that will have to lift cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) in the post-Shuttle era.
These two companies are satisfied with the election and honored to be chosen from NASA. After the announcement, Musk said that the SpaceX team is very honored to be selected by NASA as one of the two winners of the Cargo Resupply Services contract, but also said that this is very tremendous responsibility. Orbital’s David Thompson said that the CRS program will be used as a showcase for the types of commercial services that U.S. space companies can offer NASA.
According to the deal plan, each of these two companies will lift 20 tonnes to the ISS. The contracts also call for delivery of non-standard services in support of the cargo resupply, including special tasks and analysis if the government determines that are necessary. Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule will be used by SpaceX venture, and Orbital will use its Taurus II medium-lift rocket carrying a Cygnus spacecraft.
NASA projects the amount of 3.5 billion US dollars needed for the two Commercial Resupply Services deals including $1.9 billion for Orbital with eight flights ordered and $1.6 billion for SpaceX with twelve flights. The contracts will become eligible on January 1, 2009 and will last through December 31, 2016. However, there is possibility of changing the value of the deal and the maximum value of each contract will be no more than $3.1 billion. The agreements with Orbital and SpaceX will complete NASA’s need to procure cargo delivery services to the space station using a U.S. commercial carrier after the retirement of the space shuttle.
On its fourth attempt made recently with Falcon 1 rocket, SpaceX achieved a successful orbital flight which is a positive sign for them and NASA. According to Orbital, they have launched 54 missions since 1990, mostly small satellites increased by the Pegasus rocket, which is launched from a modified TriStar airliner at about 40,000 feet.
An interesting fact about the deal is that for every kilo delivered to the station with the Commercial Resupply Services NASA will pay $87.500. This is the overall price which include the development costs. Without these costs, the transport to the station per kilo will be $44.000.