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CONTRACT RELEASE : C08-069


NASA Awards Space Station Commercial Resupply Services Contracts


WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded two contracts -- one to Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., and one to Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif. -- for commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station. At the time of award, NASA has ordered eight flights valued at about $1.9 billion from Orbital and 12 flights valued at about $1.6 billion from SpaceX.

These fixed-price indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts will begin Jan. 1, 2009, and are effective through Dec. 31, 2016. The contracts each call for the delivery of a minimum of 20 metric tons of upmass cargo to the space station. The contracts also call for delivery of non-standard services in support of the cargo resupply, including analysis and special tasks as the government determines are necessary.




http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/de ... upply.html

Roger wrote:CONTRACT RELEASE : C08-069


NASA Awards Space Station Commercial Resupply Services Contracts


WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded two contracts -- one to Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., and one to Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif. -- for commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station. At the time of award, NASA has ordered eight flights valued at about $1.9 billion from Orbital and 12 flights valued at about $1.6 billion from SpaceX.

Innnnnnnnteresting. I wonder if SpaceX will send its manned Dragon capsule up somewhere in there?

Duane

djolds1 wrote:

Roger wrote:CONTRACT RELEASE : C08-069


NASA Awards Space Station Commercial Resupply Services Contracts


WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded two contracts -- one to Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., and one to Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif. -- for commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station. At the time of award, NASA has ordered eight flights valued at about $1.9 billion from Orbital and 12 flights valued at about $1.6 billion from SpaceX.

Innnnnnnnteresting. I wonder if SpaceX will send its manned Dragon capsule up somewhere in there?

Duane

Actually, their proposal includes using their Dragonlab module as a sort of Progress class mixed carrier (pressurized and unpressurized cargo). Orbitals entry quoted all pressurized cargo (65% more than the Dragonlab carries), which is why they got more money despite having fewer launches. Pressurized cargo is worth more.

http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php

And they seem to be a go for the early 2009 launch

http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

We're talking 4 man capsule plus cargo...... ! ! !

Roger wrote:http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php

And they seem to be a go for the early 2009 launch

http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

We're talking 4 man capsule plus cargo...... ! ! !

They dont have their VAB built yet, its just a concrete pad at the Cape, and the erector tower is still in transit in pieces from CA. I expect a first launch attempt in Q1 with no payload. Hopefully they do not exhibit the flight success rate on Falcon 9 as they showed with Falcon 1 (25%).

They do state they will have the first test vehicle erected by Jan 1. Whether it will stay up or is just a stunt remains to be seen. They will need to build a VAB capable of handling clean cargos and such out of the weather before customers will trust them with payloads there.

IntLibber wrote: Hopefully they do not exhibit the flight success rate on Falcon 9 as they showed with Falcon 1 (25%).

Yes, best to Musk, & team. Really exciting stuff here... if Space x shows consistency in these next launches, they will be taking huge steps forward. That flight in Oct was stunning, 2 stage, 206 miles up at engine cutoff, 397 miles up on Orbit correction burn (IIRC).

Hubble is about 350 miles, ISS is about 220. So who knows where this could end up.

I was hoping Planetspace would get it (and still might? http://spaceports.blogspot.com/2009/01/ ... award.html )

Why? because they're intent on building a spaceport in a place that could really use it:

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008 ... space.html

Derg:
Planet Space is way behind.


IntLibber:
Orbital can do pressurized or non pressurized.
They have 6 launches scheduled for 2009. I would guess they will launch within 2 -3months.

http://www.spacex.com/launch_manifest.php

Roger wrote:Derg:
Planet Space is way behind.

They don't seem to think so:

Irene Klotz is reporting that NASA has suspended work on space station commercial cargo contracts awarded to SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation after PlanetSpace filed a formal contract award protest with the General Accountability Office (GAO).

http://spaceports.blogspot.com/2009/01/ ... cargo.html

derg wrote:

Roger wrote:Derg:
Planet Space is way behind.

They don't seem to think so:

Irene Klotz is reporting that NASA has suspended work on space station commercial cargo contracts awarded to SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation after PlanetSpace filed a formal contract award protest with the General Accountability Office (GAO).

http://spaceports.blogspot.com/2009/01/ ... cargo.html

Planetspace IS way behind. They are a paper company made as a consortium of the big names in OldSpace: Lockheed, Boeing, etc etc solely intended to game the CRS and COTS contract process. The protest is a delaying tactic to string out CRS because those major contractors are making their money on Orion. They are using congressional influence to manipulate the process.

IntLibber wrote:

derg wrote:

Roger wrote:Derg:
Planet Space is way behind.

They don't seem to think so:

Irene Klotz is reporting that NASA has suspended work on space station commercial cargo contracts awarded to SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation after PlanetSpace filed a formal contract award protest with the General Accountability Office (GAO).

http://spaceports.blogspot.com/2009/01/ ... cargo.html

Planetspace IS way behind. They are a paper company made as a consortium of the big names in OldSpace: Lockheed, Boeing, etc etc solely intended to game the CRS and COTS contract process. The protest is a delaying tactic to string out CRS because those major contractors are making their money on Orion. They are using congressional influence to manipulate the process.

Typical in the government contracting business I might add.

Thanks IntLibber and Msimon for the input.

Cape Breton remains a mighty fine spaceport.,