NASA plans to purchase five more SpaceX crew flights to the International Space Station.
The agency announced a “single source modification” of its contract with SpaceX, which operates the only US system currently transporting NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The expected value of the modified contract was not disclosed in an agency blog post (opens in a new section) on Wednesday (June 1st).
The five-flight purchase adds to a $ 3.5 billion contract awarded to SpaceX in February for three additional astronaut missions with its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule: Crew-7, Crew-8 and Crew-9. NASA then said it could order more flights from SpaceX.
For the future, Crew-4 is currently in space, Crew-5 is scheduled to launch in September, and Crew-6 is scheduled for spring 2023. Assuming the newly purchased five flights continue sequentially after Crew-9, the contract modification will lead to SpaceX through the Crew-14 mission.
Related: 8 Ways SpaceX Transforms Space Flight
Boeing Starliner capsule lands for landing at New Sands missile range in New Mexico on May 25, 2022 (Image credit: NASA / Bill Ingalls)
While SpaceX is the only company currently sending astronauts into space for NASA, the agency said Boeing’s Starliner capsule is likely to be ready soon.
Starliner achieved its main goals during a test flight without a crew to the ISS, which ended on May 25.
“The recent success of Boeing’s unmanned flight test helps reinforce NASA’s long-term goals,” said Steve Stitch, NASA’s sales crew program manager, in a statement Wednesday. “It is critical that we complete the development of Starliner without undue pressure from the schedule, while working to position both Boeing and SpaceX for sustainable operations in the coming years.”
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins floats in the dome of the International Space Station in this photo, which NASA shared on May 9, 2022 (Image credit: NASA)
The space station’s operations are currently approved by the end of 2024. NASA wants to keep the orbital laboratory at least until 2030, but other major partners in the program, including Russia, will have to approve such an extension. Russia’s approval may be difficult, given that many of the nation’s other space partnerships have disintegrated amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Russia’s activities and cooperation with the ISS remain relatively unaffected.)
Current space station rotation speeds require spacecraft with crews from all nations to fly up and down about four times a year for the station’s basic needs, including maintenance and science. However, NASA does not carry the entire cargo. Russia supplies astronauts through its Soyuz spacecraft, which NASA still uses from time to time for its astronauts; for example, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hay returned to Earth on March 30 at Soyuz.
NASA sees SpaceX and Boeing as key stones in their needs to transport astronauts in the coming years; the agency awarded contracts to both companies in 2014 for such work.
NASA noted this Wednesday that it may need to use additional SpaceX flights immediately after 2026. Ordering more Dragon missions that can fly even after Starliner is ready provides important cuts, agency officials said.
The purpose of this reduction is to “maintain safe operations on the space station and allow each company to work on any unforeseen problems that may arise as the private industry builds operational experience with these new systems,” NASA officials wrote in the blog post.
NASA added that its latest modification to its contract with SpaceX does not prevent the agency from making further changes later when transportation services arise.
In addition to providing services to NASA, Dragon has launched private crew missions into orbit – namely Inspiration4 from September 2021 and Ax-1, which sent four people to the space station in April.
The spacecraft is also a key part of the Polaris program, a new billionaire-backed venture that will see Inspiration4’s Jared Isaacman return to orbit several times aboard the SpaceX spacecraft. Polaris flights are expected to include Dragon and the upcoming SpaceX system under development, Starship.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace (opens in a new section). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in a new tab) and on Facebook (opens in a new tab).
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