Commercial Crew & Cargo Transport to Orbit

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NASA Selects Crew and Cargo Transportation to Orbit Partners

The press release is reproduced below:

Aug. 18, 2006

Michael Braukus/Beth Dickey
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979/2087

Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 06-295

NASA Selects Crew and Cargo Transportation to Orbit Partners

NASA selected SpaceX, El Segundo, Calif. and Rocketplane-Kistler, Oklahoma City, to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation services that could open new markets and pave the way for contracts to launch and deliver crew and cargo to the International Space Station.

NASA and the two companies signed Space Act Agreements that establish milestones and objective criteria to assess their progress throughout Phase 1 of the competition. Once a capability is demonstrated, NASA plans to purchase crew and cargo delivery services competitively in Phase 2.

"NASA is proud to work with SpaceX and Rocketplane-Kistler as they endeavor to take American entrepreneurial spirit to new heights,” said NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Scott Horowitz. "When commercial enterprises turn the journey to low-Earth orbit into a profit-making business model, NASA will be free to focus on goals that are more appropriate for government, such as exploration of the moon and Mars."

In Phase 1, the companies will demonstrate a combination of four capabilities: external (unpressurized) cargo delivery and disposal; internal (pressurized) cargo delivery and disposal; internal cargo delivery and return; and an option for crew transportation.

“These companies were selected from a total of 20 applicants, based on solid engineering of innovative concepts and sound business plans,” said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at the Johnson Space Center, Houston.

For more information about the program, visit

http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/cots/

The Vision for Space Exploration calls for humans to return to the moon and journey to Mars. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/home

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Source: NASA Press Release 06-295

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NASA Invests in Private Sector Space Flight with SpaceX, Rocketplane-Kistler

NASA is making an unprecedented investment in commercial space transportation services with the hope of creating a competitive market for supply flights to the International Space Station (ISS).

Two industry partners will receive a combined total of approximately $500 million to help fund the development of reliable, cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit. The agency is using its Space Act authority to facilitate the demonstration of these new capabilities. NASA signed Space Agreements Aug. 18 with Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of El Segundo, Calif., and Rocketplane-Kistler (RpK) of Oklahoma City to develop and demonstrate the vehicles, systems, and operations needed to support a human facility such as ISS. Once the space shuttle is retired, NASA hopes to become just one of many customers for a new, out-of-this-world parcel service.


Image above: Artist's concept of Rocketplane-Kistler's K-1 Orbital Vehicle. Credit NASA

The venture marks a break with tradition for the 48-year-old space agency. “This is the first opportunity NASA has taken to engage entrepreneurs in a way that allows us to satisfy our needs and lets commercial industry gain a foothold. It could, and should, have profound impacts on the way NASA does business,” said Marc Timm, acting Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Program executive in NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.

Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center, said NASA's offer of seed money fulfills President Bush's Jan. 14, 2004 directive to promote commercial participation in space exploration. The 2005 NASA Authorization Act also calls on the agency to advance space commerce. "We are directly tied to the Vision for Space Exploration and the law of the land," Lindenmoyer said. "COTS marks a significant NASA activity to implement the commercialization portion of U.S. space policy."

The demonstrations are scheduled to begin as early as 2008 and continue through 2010 or later. COTS will be carried out in two phases. Phase 1, unveiled Aug. 18, will include safe disposal or return of spacecraft that successfully dock at ISS and deliver cargo. A follow-on option to demonstrate crew transportation also is planned. Once demonstrated, NASA plans to purchase transportation services competitively in Phase 2.


Image above: Artist's concept of SpaceX's Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle and Dragon crew and cargo capsules.
Credit NASA

Partners will be paid only if they succeed. Payments will be incremental and based upon the partners' progress against a schedule of performance milestones contained in each Space Act agreement. The agreements were tailored to the individual partners and negotiated before partnership selections were made. NASA will gauge progress through site visits and milestone achievements.

Usually, the space agency issues detailed requirements and specifications for its flight hardware and it takes ownership of any vehicles and associated infrastructure that a contractor produces. For COTS, NASA specified only high level goals and objectives instead of detailed requirements where possible, and left its industry partners responsible for decisions about design, development, certification and operation of the transportation system. Because NASA has a limited amount of money to invest, it encouraged the partners to obtain private financing for their projects and it left them free to market the new space transportation services to others.

This model for pursuing of commercial space services is another first for NASA and a reflection on the growing maturing of commercial space capabilities. "This is not a traditional NASA procurement or program. We could change the economics of space flight with this," said Lindenmoyer, whose office oversees COTS. NASA expects use of this model to increase over time as the exploration program unfolds, potentially extending to the provision of power, communications, and habitation facilities by commercial entities.

Limited resources and the space shuttle's pending retirement created the need for the new service, and the emergence of enabling technology has created a favorable environment for COTS development, according to Timm. Industry interest was keen, with nearly 100 companies submitting expressions of interest and 20 companies submitting initial proposals.

NASA expects that purchasing commercial space transportation services will be more economical than developing government systems of comparable capability. This could free up additional resources for lunar missions and other activities beyond low-Earth orbit.

The biggest benefit of the anticipated cost savings is the opening of new markets for an emerging industry, according to Lindenmoyer. "If we had cost-effective access, many new markets -- biotechnology, microgravity research, industrial parks in space, manufacturing, tourism -- could start to open. That's what is so important about this effort."

Source: NASA - The Vision For Space Exploration - News

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Commercial Space Transportation Capabilities Agreements Signed

The press release is reproduced below:

Aug. 18, 2006

Beth Dickey/J. D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087/5241

Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-20

Commercial Space Transportation Capabilities Agreements Signed

On Wednesday, NASA agreed to cooperate with PlanetSpace Inc. of Chicago and Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space) of Reston, Va., to facilitate the commercialization of low-Earth orbit as they develop capabilities to transport goods and people to orbital destinations.

The non-reimbursable Space Act agreements signed by NASA and the two companies involve no agency funding to the companies. The pacts establish milestones and objective criteria by which the companies can gauge their own progress, as part of the agency's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program.

Under the agreements, NASA will share information that will help the companies understand projected requirements for space station crew and cargo transportation launch vehicles, spacecraft and NASA human rating criteria.

PlanetSpace and t/Space will work to develop and demonstrate the vehicles, systems and operations needed to transport crews and cargo to and from a low-Earth orbit destination. NASA will acknowledge the companies' milestone accomplishments.

"NASA is proud to reach agreements with two more private companies dedicating their own resources toward establishment of a robust commercial launch industry," said Scott Horowitz, NASA associate administrator for Exploration Systems. "By stimulating the growth of commercial space enterprise, NASA will free itself to focus on long-range exploration of the moon and Mars."

"The importance of these agreements is that they demonstrate the willingness of entrepreneurs to invest their own resources with NASA's commitment to help develop a whole new sector of the commercial space industry," said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at Johnson Space Center, Houston.

The program administers NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services project. Its overarching goals are to stimulate commercial enterprises in space; facilitate U.S. private industry development of reliable, cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit, and to create a market environment in which commercial space transportation services are available to government and private customers.

Last year, NASA signed funded agreements with Space Exploration Technologies of El Segundo, Calif., and Rocketplane Kistler of Oklahoma City. t/Space was a finalist in that competition.

Once industry has demonstrated safe and reliable capabilities, NASA plans to enter the next phase of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program and may purchase transportation services from commercial providers to support the International Space Station.

For more information on NASA, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/home

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Source: NASA Press Release 07-20

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The Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space) press release is reproduced below:

NASA signs agreement with t/Space

02/01/2007

RESTON, VA -- Feb. 1, 2007 -- Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space) today announced it has signed a Space Act agreement with NASA to facilitate the company's development of affordable transportation of passengers and cargo to and from Earth orbit.

Under the agreement, NASA will provide information about the agency's projected commercial demand for crew and cargo services to the International Space Station (ISS), as well as technical know-how regarding how commercial vehicles can rendezvous and dock with the ISS. The agency also will monitor t/Space's development program via quarterly meetings.

"We applaud NASA for its innovative thinking on how to foster relationships with businesses that are committed to expanding the human frontier into space," said Charles Duelfer, t/Space Chief Executive Officer. "We are moving forward with our development plans and the Space Act Agreement allows us to share our progress with NASA."

In 2006, t/Space was one of six finalists in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition for development funding, out a field of more than 20 companies. The company proposed a three-person spacecraft that will carry 2,000 lbs. of cargo to the ISS, or to commercial space habitats now under development. t/Space plans an innovative approach in which its spacecraft and the accompanying booster will be released from a carrier aircraft over ocean to enhance safety, increase responsiveness and reduce costs. Development is expected to culminate with a crewed flight to orbit in late 2010.

AirLaunch LLC of Kirkland, WA, will provide the air-launched booster to t/Space, leveraging the development of its QuickReach" Small Launch Vehicle currently under way. To further minimize technical and programmatic risk and to reduce cost, t/Space's spacecraft incorporates the reentry capsule shape used by return capsules from U.S. Corona reconnaissance satellites in the 1960s and uses a pilot instead of automated systems to rendezvous and dock with ISS and planned commercial habitats.

"We have an innovative technical design solution that enables a safer path to orbit for passengers and a cost-effective way to deliver cargo," said t/Space vice president and former astronaut Jim Voss. "We have put together a great team of experienced space engineers and aerospace companies to build our cargo and crew delivery solution."

In 2005, t/Space completed a $6 million NASA contract to assist the agency's evaluation of strategies and methods for implementing the return to the Moon as part of NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. In addition to economic and engineering analyses, t/Space built and field-tested hardware for its planned Crew Transfer Vehicle (CXV), including several successful drop tests of a mockup from Scaled Composites' Proteus aircraft over the Mojave desert.

Source: t/Space Press Release

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NASA Commercial Space Partners Complete Milestones

The press release is reproduced below:

Feb. 16, 2007

Beth Dickey/J. D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087/5241

Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-046

NASA Commercial Space Partners Complete Milestones

HOUSTON - Two companies that are receiving NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services funds achieved significant milestones this month in their efforts to develop and demonstrate space cargo launch and delivery systems.

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completed a preliminary design review for its first orbital demonstration mission. Rocketplane Kistler completed a system requirements review for its cargo services system. The two companies want to offer commercial delivery services for cargo, and possibly crews, to the International Space Station in the future. In August 2006, NASA and the companies signed Space Act Agreements that established a series of milestones and criteria for assessing progress toward their individual goals.

"These milestones demonstrate genuine progress toward a new way of doing business for NASA and pave the way for the commercial purchase of transportation services needed to maintain the International Space Station," said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. "If these companies can continue this rapid pace, the first demonstration launches are right around the corner."

On Feb. 8 SpaceX, of El Segundo, Calif., received NASA approval of a preliminary design review for the first orbital demonstration of its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon reusable spacecraft. That flight, planned for September 2008, will be the first of three outlined in NASA's agreement with SpaceX. The company completed a project management review for the mission in September 2006 and a system requirements review in November 2006. SpaceX delivered its preliminary design review data to NASA Jan. 22. The critical design review is set for this summer.

On Feb. 6, Rocketplane Kistler of Oklahoma City established the requirements for interfaces between its two-stage K-1 reusable cargo transportation system and the International Space Station. The requirements review was the third of numerous milestones NASA will use to measure the company's progress toward a full demonstration of its launch capability. Both the first and second stages completed critical design reviews before Rocketplane Kistler joined the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project. Those vehicle components are being transported to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to begin the assembly phase.

Rocketplane Kistler achieved its first two program milestones, completion of a program implementation plan and an initial round of private financing, in September and November 2006, respectively. Preliminary and critical design reviews of a new cargo module are planned later this year.

SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler both won a 2006 competition to share up to $485 million in NASA funding to help finance their activities. Earlier in February, NASA signed unfunded agreements to work with two other companies with similar goals - Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space) of Reston, Va., and PlanetSpace Inc. of Chicago.

The overarching goals of NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program are to stimulate commercial enterprises in space; facilitate U.S. private industry development of reliable, cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit; and create a market environment in which commercial space transportation services are available to government and private customers.

Once industry has demonstrated safe and reliable capabilities, NASA may choose to purchase transportation services from commercial providers to support the International Space Station under a second phase of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project.

For more information on NASA on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/

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Source: NASA Press Release 07-046

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NASA, Rocketplane Kistler Sign Pact For Michoud Facility Work

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has signed a Space Act Agreement with Rocketplane Kistler Inc. of Oklahoma City. The agreement calls for Rocketplane Kistler to assemble the company's K-1 Space Transportation System at the NASA-managed Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

Rocketplane Kistler is developing its K-1 reusable launch vehicle to conduct a demonstration flight to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation System Project, with a goal of providing commercial orbital cargo services in the future. NASA's partnership with private industry will demonstrate a cost-effective means of delivering cargo to and from the space station. An option to develop crew transportation is included in the Commercial Orbital Transportation System Space Act Agreement.

The K-1 incorporates proven technologies from successful aerospace programs. The kerosene-liquid oxygen powered vehicle is approximately 121 feet long, 22 feet in diameter and weighs approximately 840,000 pounds at liftoff. It is designed to be fully reusable and is expected to provide reliable and safer transportation to Earth orbit.

The agreement with Marshall provides facilities for use by some 200 skilled workers at Michoud. Approximately 100 more Rocketplane Kistler subcontractor employees will go to the New Orleans area during assembly and checkout phases of the project.

According to the agreement, Rocketplane Kistler will assemble and perform system testing of the first and second stages of the K-1 launch vehicle at Michoud. The company also may use the NASA facility to assemble and check out the vehicle's pressurized and unpressurized cargo modules, used to demonstrate the ability to safely and reliably berth with the space station.

The K-1 vehicle is in advanced stages of development. First and second stage liquid oxygen tanks built by Lockheed Martin Corp. stand ready for installation at Michoud. External panels from Northrop Grumman Corp. are at the facility, with others being transported to Michoud. In addition, preparation for vehicle assembly is well underway.

For more information about Rocketplane Kistler and the K-1 vehicle, visit:

http://www.rocketplane.com/

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/home/

Source: NASA/MSFC - Michoud Assembly Facility

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K-1 Space Transportation System

A concept image of the K-1 Space Transportation System being developed by Rocketplane Kistler Inc. of Oklahoma City. The company's reusable launch vehicle will conduct a demonstration flight to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation System Project, with a goal of providing commercial orbital cargo services in the future. NASA's partnership with private industry will demonstrate a cost-effective means of delivering cargo to and from the space station. The K-1 incorporates proven technologies from successful aerospace programs. The kerosene-liquid oxygen powered vehicle is approximately 121 feet long, 22 feet in diameter and weighs approximately 840,000 pounds at liftoff. It is designed to be fully reusable and is expected to provide reliable and safer transportation to Earth orbit.

Image credit: Rocketplane Kistler

+ View large image

Source: NASA/MSFC - Michoud Assembly Facility

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NASA Signs Commercial Space Transportation Agreements

The press release is reproduced below:

June 18, 2007

Beth Dickey/Melissa Mathews
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087/1272

Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-138

NASA Signs Commercial Space Transportation Agreements

WASHINGTON - Through three new Space Act agreements, NASA is expanding cooperation with companies interested in commercializing access to space. The companies are developing capabilities to transport goods and people to low Earth orbit.

NASA signed nonreimbursable Space Act agreements, which do not provide any government funding to the companies, with SpaceDev of Poway, Calif., SPACEHAB of Houston, and Constellation Services International (CSI) of Laguna Woods, Calif. The pacts establish milestones and objective criteria by which the companies can gauge their progress in developing orbital cargo transportation capabilities.

Under the agreements, NASA will share information that will help the companies understand projected requirements for International Space Station crew and cargo transportation launch vehicles, as well as spacecraft and NASA human rating criteria.

SpaceDev, SPACEHAB and CSI will work to develop and demonstrate the vehicles, systems and operations needed to transport cargo to and from a low Earth orbit destination. SpaceDev also will include crew transport in its development program. NASA will acknowledge the companies' milestone accomplishments.

"This is a significant development," said Scott Horowitz, NASA associate administrator for Exploration Systems. "First there were two, and now there are a total of five private companies cooperating with NASA by dedicating entirely private funding to help establish a robust commercial space transportation industry."

"We're pleased to welcome these entrepreneurs to the growing list of companies willing to invest their own resources as NASA encourages development of a whole new sector of the commercial space industry," said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The program's overarching goals are to stimulate commercial enterprises in space, facilitate U.S. private industry development of reliable, cost-effective access to low Earth orbit and create a market environment in which commercial space transportation services are available to government and private customers. By stimulating the growth of commercial space enterprise, NASA plans to free itself to focus on long-range exploration to the moon and Mars.

Last year, NASA signed funded agreements with Space Exploration Technologies of El Segundo, Calif., and Rocketplane Kistler of Oklahoma City under the program's competition for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services demonstrations. In January 2007, NASA signed unfunded agreements with Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space) of Reston, Va., and PlanetSpace, Inc., of Chicago, which are similar to the three signed today.

After industry has demonstrated safe and reliable capabilities, NASA plans to enter the next phase of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program and may purchase transportation services from commercial providers to supply the International Space Station.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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Source: NASA Press Release 07-138

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NASA Solicits Input for Commercial Space Transportation Services

The press release is reproduced below:

Aug. 7, 2007

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 07-172

NASA Solicits Input for Commercial Space Transportation Services

WASHINGTON - On Tuesday NASA issued a Request for Information soliciting ideas and feedback to help shape the plan to procure safe, cost effective, and reliable logistics services to the International Space Station and other payload launch services.

Sponsored by NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate, this request seeks input from companies that are working to provide commercial transportation services to space. This information will be used to help structure future commercial launch services contracts as well as the second phase of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services initiative to acquire commercial cargo services to the station after the space shuttle's retirement in 2010.

Responders are asked to provide information and feedback, including:
- a description of the service provider's current and planned capability,
- existing NASA policies on certification and oversight of launch vehicles,
- any improvements NASA can make in commercial transportation services contract structures that would provide incentives, and
- recommendations on commercial contract terms and conditions.

Comments should be sent to Celeste Dalton at celeste.m.dalton@nasa.gov by Sept. 7. To view the Request for Information, visit:

http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/synopsis.cgi?acqid=126269

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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Source: NASA Press Release 07-172

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NASA to Open New Competition for Space Transportation Seed Money

The press release is reproduced below:

Oct. 18, 2007

Melissa Mathews/Beth Dickey
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1272/2087
melissa.mathews-1@nasa.gov, beth.dickey-1@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 07-228

NASA to Open New Competition for Space Transportation Seed Money

WASHINGTON - NASA announced Thursday it will conduct a new competition for funding that remains in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project, known as COTS.

The new competition follows NASA's decision to terminate its funded agreement with aerospace firm Rocketplane Kistler of Oklahoma City, which repeatedly failed to meet agreed-upon milestones in its effort to develop and demonstrate commercial transportation capabilities to low Earth orbit. NASA informed Rocketplane Kistler Thursday of its decision in a letter signed by Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Rick Gilbrech.

"NASA remains fully committed to the COTS Project," said Alan Lindenmoyer, who as manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office oversees the COTS Project.

"We'll be releasing a synopsis for the new competition Friday and the full announcement for a new round of industry proposals on Monday."

Companies will have 30 days to respond to Monday's announcement, and NASA intends to enter into one or more new COTS agreements early next year. Companies that are U.S. commercial providers, as defined in the Commercial Space Act, will be eligible.

COTS provides seed money to companies when they reach performance milestones to help them design and develop space transportation capabilities that could pave the way for private cargo deliveries to the International Space Station. Of the $206.8 million NASA agreed to invest in Rocketplane Kistler, the company received a total of $32.1 million. The remaining $174.7 million will be offered to aerospace firms in a new competition.

"A vibrant commercial space industry will help NASA fulfill its promise to support the International Space Station, retire the space shuttle and return humans to the moon," Lindenmoyer said.

In 2006, NASA chose two companies to receive COTS funding: Rocketplane Kistler and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, of El Segundo, Calif. Both companies signed Space Act Agreements with the agency that detailed mutually agreed-upon financial and technical milestones, as well as a payment schedule based on those requirements.

In late May, Rocketplane Kistler missed the fourth milestone, a second round of private financing, in its COTS agreement. After months of discussions with the company, NASA officially notified Rocketplane Kistler in early September of its failure to perform. The agency decided to terminate the Rocketplane Kistler agreement when, after careful consideration, NASA concluded that further efforts were not in the agency's best interest. NASA followed the process for termination that was spelled out in the Space Act Agreement.

NASA's other funded COTS partner, SpaceX, is current on all of its financial and technical milestones. NASA also has unfunded COTS agreements with five other companies.

For more information on NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program, visit:

www.nasa.gov/directorates/esmd/ccc

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Source: NASA Press Release 07-228

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NASA Partners With Orbital Sciences for Space Transport Services

The press release is reproduced below:

Feb. 19, 2007

Beth Dickey/Stephanie Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087/4997
beth.dickey-1@nasa.gov , stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov

Lynnette Madison/Bill J. Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
lynnette.b.madison@nasa.gov , bill.j.byerly@nasa.gov


RELEASE: 08-058

NASA Partners With Orbital Sciences for Space Transport Services

WASHINGTON - NASA selected Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation services that could open new markets and pave the way for contracts to launch and deliver crew and cargo to the International Space Station.

NASA and Orbital Sciences signed a funded Space Act Agreement under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project, known as COTS. The new partner will receive approximately $170 million in federal funds to supplement its privately-funded efforts.

Through COTS, NASA is facilitating U.S. private industry development of reliable, cost- effective access to low Earth orbit. The intent is to create a market environment in which commercial space transportation services are available to government and private sector customers.

"NASA plans to get out of low Earth orbit and focus on going back to the moon to prepare explorers for a future voyage to Mars," said Rick Gilbrech, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Washington. "Being able to buy safe, reliable and economical service to low Earth orbit will help us achieve our national goals."

The selection of Orbital Sciences brings to seven the number of partners in which NASA is investing through COTS. NASA selected SpaceX of El Segundo, Calif., as a partner in August 2006. NASA is partnering with an additional five companies through unfunded agreements.

NASA is providing approximately $500 million to stimulate the commercial space transportation market and help develop safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from low Earth orbit.

"Our investment in the space transportation industry holds just as much promise for the future as government's investment in the railroads and airlines produced in the past," said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. "Like any wise investor would, we chose a transportation provider whose innovative concept is based on solid engineering and a sound business plan."

The Space Act Agreement establishes milestones and objective criteria to assess the company's progress throughout Phase 1 of the COTS Project. Partners with funded agreements receive payment for achieving agreed-upon milestones.

In Phase 1, companies will demonstrate one or more of four capabilities: external, unpressurized cargo delivery and disposal; internal, pressurized cargo delivery and disposal; internal, pressurized cargo delivery and return; and an option for crew transportation. NASA plans to purchase cargo resupply services competitively in Phase 2.

For more information about the COTS Project, visit:

_http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esmd/ccc

For information about NASA's plans to explore the moon and beyond, visit:

_http://www.nasa.gov/exploration

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Source: NASA Press Release 08-058

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The Orbital press release is reproduced below:

Contact: BarronBeneski, (703) 406-5000, beneski.barron@orbital.com

NASA Selects Orbital To Demonstrate New Commercial Cargo Delivery System For The International Space Station

-- ISS Cargo System Includes New Cygnus™ Maneuvering Spacecraft, Interchangeable Cargo Modules and Taurus II Medium-Lift Launch Vehicle --

-- Initial COTS Demonstration Mission Scheduled for Fourth Quarter of 2010 --

(Dulles, VA 19 February 2008) – Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that it has been selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to demonstrate a new space transportation system for delivering cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). In a three-year, $320 million cooperative program, NASA will invest $170 million and Orbital will contribute $150 million (including its planned Taurus II launch vehicle development investment) in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) project. In its first phase, the COTS project will involve the development and flight demonstration of a commercial cargo delivery system to low Earth orbit with the potential to support ISS operations following the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010. This system will consist of a new advanced maneuvering spacecraft called Cygnus™, along with several interchangeable modules for pressurized and unpressurized cargo, and will be launched on Orbital’s new Taurus II medium-lift rocket.

The COTS project is strategically important to both NASA and Orbital,” said Mr. David W. Thompson, Orbital’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “For NASA, the ability to deliver cargo to the International Space Station with reasonably priced commercial services is part of its long-term plan to rely on American industry for routine Earth-orbit operations, as the space agency focuses on returning astronauts to the Moon and beyond. For Orbital, the COTS project is a critical element of the company’s strategy to play an expanded role in human spaceflight programs, including ISS operations and the development and support of NASA’s Orion program.”

Orbital’s COTS demonstration mission is scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2010. Subject to NASA’s future requirements, Orbital will be prepared to carry out several follow-on operational COTS missions in 2011 and to conduct as many as eight operational ISS cargo flights a year by 2012 and 2013. The Cygnus spacecraft to be launched aboard the Taurus II rocket will be capable of delivering up to 2,300 kg of cargo to the ISS and will be able to return 1,200 kg of cargo from the ISS to Earth.

The COTS project will provide NASA with a U.S.-produced and -operated automated cargo delivery service for ISS support, to complement Russian, European and Japanese cargo vehicles. In addition, the COTS project will help facilitate the introduction of Taurus II, a new medium-class launch vehicle that can be used by NASA and other government agencies and private-sector satellite operators for a variety of scientific, national defense and commercial space missions.

By serving as an anchor mission for Orbital’s Taurus II rocket, the COTS project will not only benefit NASA’s ISS operations with reliable commercial cargo service once the system is fully operational, but will also aid NASA’s Earth and space science and planetary exploration programs with lower-cost launches of medium-class satellites,” said Dr. Antonio L. Elias, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Orbital’s Advanced Programs Group, which leads a company-wide team developing the Taurus II launch vehicle and the Cygnus spacecraft.

Orbital currently plans to carry out the development, production and integration of the Cygnus spacecraft and cargo modules at company facilities in Dulles, Virginia and Greenbelt, Maryland. The company’s design, manufacturing and testing activities related to the Taurus II rocket will be done in Dulles and Chandler, Arizona. Early COTS missions are planned to be launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, with integrated mission operations conducted from control centers in Dulles and Houston, Texas.

About Orbital

Orbital develops and manufactures small rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company’s primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low Earth-orbit, geosynchronous Earth-orbit and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar and other missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds software-based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators.

###

Source: Orbital press release

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Artist rendering of Taurus II at the Wallops Flight Facility


Artist rendering of Cygnus spacecraft approaching the International Space Station

Source: Orbital - Images & Multimedia

[thefinalfrontier]

Next month, if all goes well, a 154-foot-tall white SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will rise from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in a crucial test of the ambitions of upstart space venture SpaceX —- and of President Barack Obama's new policy for NASA for spark commercial space ventures as a viable alternative to NASA. The spanking new Falcon 9, built from scratch by SpaceX with the help of $234 million from NASA, is intended to deliver cargo to the International Space Station after the space shuttle is retired later this year.

Read more...

Well looks like the sign of the times,

[ROGER]

I have to say I am impressed with the Dragon Capsule over the Orion. I will be watching Space x with interest.

[thefinalfrontier]

I have to say I am impressed with the Dragon Capsule over the Orion. I will be watching Space x with interest.

Looks like its gonna be in Space X doesnt it Rog.? I also am watching the space X,

[thefinalfrontier]

Pictures of the Falcon 9 rocket,

Falcon 9 vertical on the launch pad (SpaceX)

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Musk standing next to the nine Merlin-1C engines of the Falcon 9 on Jan. 7th (SpaceX)

Shortly after the fairing was attached to the booster stages on Dec. 30th 2008 (SpaceX)

Before and after: The first stage of the Falcon 9 back in Oct. 2008 at the SpaceX Hawthorn HQ (left) and the same first stage arriving in Cape Canaveral in Dec. 2008 (right). Credit: Ian O'Neill/SpaceX

Source With More Info.

[thefinalfrontier]

Photo Gallery: Falcon 9 Now Vertical on the Launchpad

Is the future here? Over the weekend, SpaceX rolled their Falcon 9 launch vehicle out to the launchpad at Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral. If all systems check out, SpaceX looks to do an engine test sometime this week, which should provide some dramatic rumbling and shaking here in Florida. The rocket measures 47 meters long (154 feet) and 4 meters (12 feet) wide, and for the upcoming test launch (date currently not set), the payload will be a dummy of the company's Dragon capsule being developed to carry equipment to the International Space Station for NASA.

The word around Cape Canaveral is that the range has been reserved for March 8, but SpaceX won't provide any specific potential launch dates; instead giving a range of sometime between March and May. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said the Range date is "just a placeholder for the earliest possible countdown attempt." In an article in Spaceflightnow.com, Musk said the launch likely won't occur until April at the earliest.

SpaceX said that Falcon 9 is now undergoing a checkout of the critical flight connections including fuel, liquid oxygen, and gas pressure systems. Once all system interfaces are verified, the launch team will execute a full tanking test of both first and second stages (wet dress) followed by a brief ~3.5 static fire of the first stage. "SpaceX has not set specific dates for wet dress or static fire as schedule will be driven by the satisfactory completion of all test objectives and a thorough review of the data," the company said in a press release.

Here's a look at the launch complex 40.

Article

[thefinalfrontier]

The Dragon Capsule

Dragon Spacecraft with Solar Panels deployed

Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft being developed by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. Initiated internally by SpaceX in 2005, the Dragon spacecraft is made up of a pressurized capsule and unpressurized trunk used for Earth to LEO transport of pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo, and/or crew members.

The Dragon spacecraft is comprised of 3 main elements: the Nosecone, which protects the vessel and the docking adaptor during ascent; the Spacecraft, which houses the crew and/or pressurized cargo as well as the service section containing avionics, the RCS system, parachutes, and other support infrastructure; and the Trunk, which provides for the stowage of unpressurized cargo and will support Dragon’s solar arrays and thermal radiators.

In December 2008, NASA announced the selection of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires. The $1.6 billion contract represents a minimum of 12 flights, with an option to order additional missions for a cumulative total contract value of up to $3.1 billion.

Though designed to address cargo and crew requirements for the ISS, as a free-flying spacecraft Dragon also provides an excellent platform for in-space technology demonstrations and scientific instrument testing. SpaceX is currently manifesting fully commercial, non-ISS Dragon flights under the name “DragonLab”. DragonLab represents an emergent capability for in-space experimentation.

For more information and simulation pictures of the Dragon docking with the ISS CLICK HERE

[DONTEATUS]

Whats the status on real Launch date for this New Rocket

[thefinalfrontier]

Whats the status on real Launch date for this New Rocket

Anytime between now and may they are saying,

[Waspie_Dwarf]

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has enjoyed a successful maiden test flight after the first launch attempted was aborted.

The rocket, which could one day carry astronauts, blasted-off from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1845 GMT.

The California-based firm developed the vehicle with a large subsidy from Nasa.

Friday's first launch attempt was aborted at the last second because an engine parameter fell out of limits.

According to the Spaceflight Now website, a SpaceX spokesperson said the rocket achieved orbit, but they were not sure of the altitude or inclination.

Read more...

[Waspie_Dwarf]

The NASA press release is reproduced below:

May 4, 2010

Bob Jacobs

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1979

bob.jacobs@nasa.gov

RELEASE : 10-132

NASA Administrator's Statement On First Falcon 9 Launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The following is a statement by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding Friday's launch of Space Exploration Technologies' Falcon 9 rocket.

"Congratulations to Space X on today's launch of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Space X's accomplishment is an important milestone in the commercial transportation effort and puts the company a step closer to providing cargo services to the International Space Station.

"Preparations are proceeding for the first NASA-sponsored test launch under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services project

later this year. COTS is a vital development and demonstration partnership to create a commercial space transportation system capable of providing cargo to the station. "This launch of the Falcon 9 gives us even more confidence that a resupply vehicle will be available after the space shuttle fleet is retired."

For more information about COTS, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/about/c3po.html

- end -

___________________________

Source: NASA - Press Release 10-132

[Waspie_Dwarf]

SpaceX Launch A Success

04 June 2010

Space Exploration Technologies' Falcon 9 test rocket was successfully launched at 2:45 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex-40 on Friday, June 4. SpaceX says its Dragon spacecraft now is in orbit. A statement issued by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says the launch "gives us even more confidence that a resupply vehicle will be available after the space shuttle fleet is retired."

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube

[ROGER]

From: http://www.nasawatch.com/

Keith's note: This is hilarious. Ares 1-X was a suborbital mission with a fake second stage, a first stage motor different than the final one, and used borrowed avionics. Falcon 9 flew an operational vehicle first time out of the hanagr and put a payload into orbit at a small fraction of the cost that an Ares would require. Falcon 9 has a better chance of closing the gap than Ares 1 will. Apparently the good senator (her staff that is) are utterly unaware of the fact that Ares 1 will not achieve any of its milestones until after Falcon 9 has already done so. Yet we never hear anything from her about that, do we?

Rog: Now some think Keith is a blow hard, but he has backed private over Government for a while.

Opinions!