Rocketry Planet

HAWTHORNE, Califorina USA — NASA today announced its selection of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for the International Space Station (ISS) Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract award. The contract is for a guaranteed minimum of 20,000 kg to be carried to the International Space Station. The firm contracted value is $1.6 billion and NASA may elect to order additional missions for a cumulative total contract value of up to $3.1 billion.

Artist rendering of SpaceX Dragon spacecraft delivering cargo to the International Space Station. Image: NASA.

"The SpaceX team is honored to have been selected by NASA as the winner of the Cargo Resupply Services contract," said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO, SpaceX. "This is a tremendous responsibility, given the swiftly approaching retirement of the Space Shuttle and the significant future needs of the Space Station. This also demonstrates the success of the NASA COTS program, which has opened a new era for NASA in US Commercial spaceflight."

Under the CRS contract, SpaceX will deliver pressurized and unpressurized cargo to the ISS, and return cargo back to Earth. Cargo may include both NASA and NASA-sponsored payloads requiring a pressurized or unpressurized environment. SpaceX will provide the necessary services, test hardware and software, and mission-specific elements to integrate cargo with the Dragon delivery capsule.

In 2006, SpaceX was named a winner under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competition. Under the existing COTS agreement, SpaceX will conduct the first flight of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft in 2009. The final flight, currently scheduled for 2010, will demonstrate Dragon's ability to berth with the ISS.

Falcon 9 flight hardware has already started to arrive at the SpaceX launch site, Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, in preparation for Falcon 9 going vertical on the pad within a few weeks. Construction of the SLC-40 launch site is proceeding ahead of schedule and is estimated to be completed in early 2009.

About SpaceX

SpaceX is revolutionizing access to space by developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With its Falcon line of launch vehicles, powered by internally-developed Merlin engines, SpaceX offers light, medium and heavy lift capabilities to deliver spacecraft into any altitude and inclination, from low-Earth to geosynchronous orbit to planetary missions. On September 28, 2008, Falcon 1, designed and manufactured from the ground up by SpaceX, became the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth.

As a winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition (COTS), SpaceX is in a position to help fill the gap in American spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010. Under the existing Agreement, SpaceX will conduct three flights of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for NASA, culminating in Dragon berthing with the ISS. SpaceX is the only COTS contender with the capability to return cargo and crew to Earth. NASA also has an option to demonstrate crew services to the ISS using the Falcon 9 / Dragon system.

Founded in 2002, the SpaceX team now numbers more than 620, located primarily in Hawthorne, California, with additional locations, including SpaceX's Texas Test Facility in McGregor near Waco; offices in Washington DC; and launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific.

Reader comments:

#1 Re: Article: NASA selects SpaceX’s Falcon/Dragon for ISS cargo resupply

This is a great announcement and paves the way for more companies to go into space and be able to make money doing it.

I don't know if SpaceX will be up to the challenge of course but they seem to be on their way with their orbit of the earth flight and with NASA stepping outside their own little world to hire a small company means a lot.

Any chance NASA picked them so they could be set up for failure and then NASA turns around and says we need more money because we are the only ones in town that can do this?

Good Luck to SpaceX I hope they hit a homerun with the Falcon 9 Heavy rocket. These guys have been a great story from the beginning.

Andrew

agrippo on 12-24-2008 04:46 AM

#2 Re: Article: NASA selects SpaceX’s Falcon/Dragon for ISS cargo resupply

I agree for the most part, but keep in mind that for every winner there's a loser. I was working part-time on this, so it looks like I'll have the day off.
I read it first at Rocketry Planet, by the way.

Adrian A on 12-24-2008 09:47 AM

#3 Re: Article: NASA selects SpaceX’s Falcon/Dragon for ISS cargo resupply

I think that Space X is doing great! Out of all the small start-up private companies they have done the best. However, I can't help but wonder now that Space X is getting big bucks from our federal government, are they any different than any of the other big aerospace companies?

Bob

P.S. Ellon Musk is also working on electric cars. I hope he succeeds there, too. Our country needs the help!

aerostadt on 12-24-2008 02:58 PM

#4 Re: Article: NASA selects SpaceX’s Falcon/Dragon for ISS cargo resupply

I wonder when the job openings will be posted. I am sure there going to need a bunch more employees.

Bayourat on 12-28-2008 09:10 PM

#5 Re: Article: NASA selects SpaceX’s Falcon/Dragon for ISS cargo resupply

Quote:

I agree for the most part, but keep in mind that for every winner there's a loser. I was working part-time on this, so it looks like I'll have the day off.
I read it first at Rocketry Planet, by the way.

Well, on this contract there were two winners: OSC & SpaceX, and the rumours I read was there were three bids. Any idea why ULA didn't bid an EELV?

I suggest wandering over to www.nasaspaceflight.com and read all the, um, "discussions" about this on their forums.

Glen

overby on 12-29-2008 12:31 AM

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