NASA seeks additional crew flights to space station from SpaceX

As part of its Commercial Crew Transportation Capabilities (CCtCap) contract, NASA intends to issue a sole source modification to SpaceX for additional transportation services.


Devdiscourse News Desk | California | Updated: 04-12-2021 09:12 IST | Created: 04-12-2021 09:12 IST
NASA seeks additional crew flights to space station from SpaceX
Representative Image Image Credit: ANI
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NASA is seeking up to three additional crew flights to the International Space Station from SpaceX. These additional flights will help the agency maintain an uninterrupted U.S. capability for human access to the space station, the U.S. space agency said on Friday.

As part of its Commercial Crew Transportation Capabilities (CCtCap) contract, NASA intends to issue a sole source modification to SpaceX for additional transportation services.

"It's critical we begin to secure additional flights to the space station now so we are ready as these missions are needed to maintain a U.S. presence on the station. Our U.S. human launch capability is essential to our continued safe operations in orbit and to building our low-Earth orbit economy," said Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate.

According to NASA, the SpaceX crew transportation system is the only one certified to meet its safety requirements to transport crew to the space station as well as to maintain the agency's obligation to its international partners in the needed timeframe.

Securing additional crew flights from SpaceX now also allows the U.S. space agency to continue working with Boeing on the development of the company's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, which also will fly NASA and international partner astronauts to and from the space station after completing its certification effort.

NASA awarded the CCtCap contracts to Boeing and SpaceX through a public-private partnership in 2014. Under this contract, the agency certifies that a provider's space transportation system meets the agency's requirements prior to flying missions with astronauts.

Meanwhile, NASA is gearing up for the launch of its first two-way optical communications relay satellite, Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), on December 5. LCRD will demonstrate the unique capabilities of laser/optical communications that will revolutionize space communications.

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