Houston, we have a problem: Plans for Boeing and SpaceX to build 'space taxi' fleet delayed after losing bidder complains over $6.8bn deal
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Work on a pair of U.S. commercial spaceships to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station will be delayed after a losing contender protested the Nasa awards.
Sierra Nevada Corp, which lost out with its plans, said there were 'serious questions and inconsistencies in the source selection process'.
It has now launched a legal complaint - which Nasa admits will delay the entire project.
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Space race: Elon Musk unveils his Dragon V2 shuttle which is capable of launching up to seven astronauts into orbit. Nasa revealed today it is one of two craft selected to begin shuttling astronauts to the International space Station in 2017.
The CST-100 spacecraft will at first be used to take astronauts to the ISS, pictured. However, Boeing also envisages a future where it is used to transport astronauts to private spacecraft such as Bigelow Aerospace's inflatable habitats, which will be launched in the future
THE DREAMCHASER
Sierra Nevada Corporation is constructing what some regard as the true successor to the Space Shuttle.
Known as the Dream Chaser (test vehicle pictured below), this 'mini-shuttle' of sorts will launch upright on top of a rocket, taking a crew of seven into orbit before gliding back to Earth at the end of its mission.
The U.S. space agency awarded contracts worth up to $6.8 billion to Boeing and privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, to finish designs, build, test and ultimately fly crews to the station, a $100 billion research laboratory that orbits about 260 miles (418 km) above Earth.
The awards, announced on Sept. 16, culminate a four-year program to restore U.S.-based human spaceflight services following the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011.Since then, NASA has been dependent on Russia to fly station crewmembers, a service that currently costs the United States about $70 million per seat.
In addition to Boeing and SpaceX, privately owned Sierra Nevada Corp bid to continue development of its Dream Chaser spaceplane under NASA's so-called "Commercial Crew" program.
The contracts include up to six operational missions.
Boeing's award is for $4.2 billion. SpaceX offered to do the work for $2.6 billion.
On Friday, Colorado-based Sierra Nevada formally protested the awards, saying its proposal would cost $900 million less than Boeing's.
'NASA's own Source Selection Statement and debrief indicate that there are serious questions and inconsistencies in the source selection process. SNC, therefore, feels that there is no alternative but to institute a legal challenge,' the company said in a statement.
Dream Chaser
The protest, filed with the Government Accountability Office, will temporarily keep NASA from moving forward with the next phase of its Commercial Crew program, NASA's Bolden told Reuters.
NASA has 30 days to respond to Sierra Nevada's challenge. GAO is expected to issue its ruling by Jan. 5, 2015.
Bolden was in Toronto for the opening of the week-long International Astronautical Congress.
The long awaited $6.8bn deal to replace the Space Shuttle and end reliance on Russia's Soyuz craft was revealed at the Kennedy Space Center, where launches will take place from 2017.
HOW BOEING'S DESIGN WILL WORK
Boeing's design would be launched into space using the Atlas 5 rocket built by the United Launch Alliance, a venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp.
It will take crews of seven people to the ISS and other destinations
That rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine, which has also triggered some concerns given tensions with Russia.
'From day one, the Obama Administration made clear that the greatest nation on Earth should not be dependent on other nations to get into space,' Nasa Administrator Charlie Bolden said at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
'Thanks to the leadership of President Obama, the hard work of our NASA and industry teams, and support from Congress, today we are one step closer to launching our astronauts from U.S. soil on American spacecraft and ending the nation's sole reliance on Russia by 2017.
'Turning over low-Earth orbit transportation to private industry will also allow NASA to focus on an even more ambitious mission – sending humans to Mars.'
The two Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts are designed to complete the NASA certification for human space transportation systems capable of carrying people into orbit.
Once certification is complete, NASA plans to use these systems to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station and return them safely to Earth.
'Today we don't know who will be the first commander - but we know is will be a major achievement for our nation,' said Golden.
Under the deal, Boeing will be given $4.2bn and SpaceX $2.6bn.
Nasa hopes it will spur private development in space.
'Ideally several years from now there will be other laboraties where people will be going - that's the vision of a commercial space industry,' said Golden.
The contracts include at least one crewed flight test per company with at least one NASA astronaut aboard to verify the fully integrated rocket and spacecraft system can launch, maneuver in orbit, and dock to the space station, as well as validate all its systems perform as expected.
Once each company's test program has been completed successfully and its system achieves NASA certification, each contractor will conduct at least two, and as many as six, crewed missions to the space station.
These spacecraft also will serve as a lifeboat for astronauts aboard the station.
"We are excited to see our industry partners close in on operational flights to the International Space Station, an extraordinary feat industry and the NASA family began just four years ago," said Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
"This space agency has long been a technology innovator, and now we also can say we are an American business innovator, spurring job creation and opening up new markets to the private sector.
'The agency and our partners have many important steps to finish, but we have shown we can do the tough work required and excel in ways few would dare to hope.'
The companies will own and operate the crew transportation systems and be able to sell human space transportation services to other customers in addition to NASA, thereby reducing the costs for all customers.
the craft will replace the Space Shuttle following its retirement. The final shuttle mission was completed with the landing of Atlantis on July 21, 2011, bringing about the end of the 30-year Space Shuttle program.
Earlier this year Boeing took a major step forward in its bid to replace the space shuttle.
The aerospace giant completed a key review of its design for a new commercial venture to fly astronauts to the International Space Station.
The multibillion-dollar program has taken on new urgency in recent months, given escalating tensions with Russia over its annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.
John Mulholland, vice president and program manager for Boeing's commercial space exploration programs, said the company faced some difficult challenges as it developed its design, but got 'excellent' feedback from Nasa during the review last month.
Boeing's CST will take crews of seven people to the ISS and other destinations from 2017, it was revealed today.
'From a technical standpoint, the review went very well,' he said.
'To the best of my knowledge we're the only CCiCAP competitor that actually was able to complete all of the milestones in the period of performance,' he said.
Mulholland said, measured in mass, the Boeing design for the cargo module was 96-percent complete at the time of the review, while its design for the crew module was 85-percent complete, two metrics that underscored the maturity of the design.
He said the critical design review marked a major step for the Boeing program.
'You've got to be able to stand up at that review and show the analysis and tests that demonstrate that you're going to be able to meet those requirements,' he said.
Boeing remains confident it could complete work on the new spacecraft in time to begin flight tests in 2017, Mulholland said.
Boeing's design would be launched into space using the Atlas 5 rocket built by the United Launch Alliance, a venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp.
That rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine, which has also triggered some concerns given tensions with Russia.
He said the module was designed from the beginning to be compatible with other launch vehicles, if necessary, although that would still entail some modification of the interface between the spacecraft and the launcher.
Since the Space Shuttle was retired in July 2011, the US has relied on Russia to get its astronauts into orbit.
But through their Commercial Crew Program, Nasa has been busy funding the development of a new breed of spacecraft.
Next generation: SpaceX says the shuttle will provide a less expensive way to connect to the Space Station
Boeing has unveiled a mockup of the interior of their new Crew Space Transportation (CST-100) vehicle that will be used to astronauts into space in the coming years. The capsule is funded by Nasa as part of their programme to develop private spacecraft
Boeing's vision for the future of human spaceflight is the Crew Space Transportation (CST-100).
They unveiled the new commercial interior of its CST-100 next-generation manned space capsule, showing how people other than Nasa astronauts may one day travel to space.
This is the first time they have made the design of the interior public.
Boeing and partner Bigelow Aerospace highlighted the future commercial interior of the capsule it is developing for Nasa, while Bigelow showcased a full-scale model of its BA 330 inflatable space habitat that astronauts could one day live in.
'We are moving into a truly commercial space market and we have to consider our potential customers - beyond Nasa - and what they need in a future commercial spacecraft interior,' said Chris Ferguson, former Space Shuttle Atlantis commander and current Boeing director of Crew and Mission Operations for the Commercial Crew Program.
Engineers from across Boeing leveraged the company's decades of experience in commercial and government aerospace to design the capsule's interior.
The capsule, interior view of a prototype pictured, will be able to seat a crew of seven and it will also be able to take cargo into orbit. It is in direct competition with SpaceX's manned Dragon capsule and Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser space plane, all of which are vying to be the first private company to take humans into space
'Boeing's teams have been designing award-winning and innovative interiors for our airplanes since the dawn of commercial aviation,' said Rachelle Ornan, regional director of Sales and Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
'Designing the next-generation interior for commercial space is a natural progression. A familiar daytime blue sky scene helps passengers maintain their connection with Earth.'
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