SpaceX Wins NASA Contract To Haul Astronauts To Space – Elon Musk’s Commercial Space Program To Compete With Boeing?

NASA awarded Elon Musk’s SpaceX program contract to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. Though the company has been trying to build dependable rockets for some time, this will be SpaceX’s first such mission.

SpaceX secured official approval from NASA to ready future flights that will take astronauts to the International Space Station. The actual flight of the rocket, built by SpaceX for NASA, won’t take-off until late 2017. That should give the company enough time to remedy what went wrong during the failed launch that took place this past June. While the recent failure has been a disappointment, Musk can take solace in the fact that NASA has awarded not one, but two confirmed missions to SpaceX.

The announcement allows the company to continue working on a delivery system, which will safely fly humans into space, and deliver them to the International Space Station.

According to the 2014 contract with NASA, the first flight using the SpaceX rockets will be in late 2017, and the agency has guaranteed one more mission will be executed by the company based on the success of the first. Incidentally, while NASA awarded the contract to SpaceX, the agency also awarded the same contract to Boeing Co. to build rockets to carry astronauts to the space station as soon as 2017.

Perhaps to inspire aggressive and rapid development of dependable space delivery system that’s built in America, NASA awarded the same contract to two different companies. While NASA did give a similar go ahead to Boeing about six months ago, the agency hasn’t confirmed which company’s rockets will fly the astronauts first, reported Los Angele Times.

NASA has to currently rely on Russia for ferrying the astronauts back and forth. Moreover, the ageing American rockets that have serviced NASA for most of the International Space Station’s life, have been grounded, and there is a dire need of next generation rockets that can dependably, and economically delivery not just the astronauts, but supplies as well.

While Boeing is a veteran in the space business, and has developed numerous rockets and payload delivery systems, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is a relative newcomer. Though the latter has made six successful resupply trips to the International Space Station over the past four years, the company did have a rather disappointing June while delivering supplies to the International Space Station, after its rocket burst into flames shortly after takeoff. Though the rocket was unmanned, it was carrying food and other critical supplies to the astronauts. There were fears that the delay could force them to extensively ration their supplies, but fortunately they were alleviated by Russia.

As part of the contract, Boeing and SpaceX are entitled to at least two and as many as six missions, reported CNN. The contract is NASA’s attempt to allow commercial operators to operate some of its low-Earth orbit flights to rein in expenses, and focus on the Space Station and research, shared Julie Robinson, International Space Station chief scientist.

“Commercial crew launches are really important for helping us meet the demand for research on the space station.”

For NASA, SpaceX will deploy a Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket, confirmed SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell.

“The authority to proceed with Dragon’s first operational crew mission is a significant milestone in the Commercial Crew Program and a great source of pride for the entire SpaceX team. When Crew Dragon takes NASA astronauts to the space station in 2017, they will be riding in one of the safest, most reliable spacecraft ever flown. We’re honored to be developing this capability for NASA and our country.”

NASA has to depend on the aging Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, which is orbiting 250 miles up. Will the competition between Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Boeing end the agency’s dependency on Russia?

[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]