SPACE: NASA selects Boeing and SpaceX for "space taxis"
First space power in the world, the United States had lost its pride when, in July 2011, the saga of the shuttle was finished with the last flight of Atlantis. Then literally saw land, unable to launch its own astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). Blame Barack Obama in 2010 canceled the proposed a "return to the Moon" Constellation program
In fact, when in 2004 the Americans decide to stop flying the shuttle at the end of the construction of the International Space Station, NASA predicted that the Orion spacecraft that was developed as part of the Constellation program, replaces to transport American astronauts and rotation of the ISS crew.
Replacement of Constellation, the United States program are betting on the privatization of space transportation to the ISS. Two public-private partnerships are configured to run the competition among American companies seeking service contracts. It will load COTS, won by SpaceX and Orbital Sciences shared today supplies to the ISS, one with the Dragon (SpaceX) capsule and the other with the load Cygnus (Orbital Sciences). For transporting astronauts who will pit the Apollo capsules and CCDev Boeing and SpaceX, Sierra Nevada and mininavette pitcher ATK and Airbus Liberty Area.
Do not depend on Russia
After discarding the ATK Space and Airbus, in August 2012 the project, NASA formally selected projects SpaceX and Boeing to build the two first private spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to the ISS. It is expected that the "space taxi" service to start before the end of 2017 test flights, uninhabited, are offered in the course of 2015 and a demonstration flight first-hand to the International Space Station is possible in the fall @ 2017 .
This contract is a possible $ 6.8 million to end the dependence of the United States vis-à-vis Russia, Soyuz offers to transport NASA astronauts, but also other international partners are expected . Boeing has been allocated the largest share, with $ 4.2 billion, while 2.6 billion back to SpaceX.
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