NASA orders 12 additional space station resupply missions from SpaceX, Northrop

U.S. space agency NASA on Friday ordered 12 additional missions to the Internation Space Station (ISS) under its Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contracts. These additional missions - six each to Northrop Grumman and SpaceX - will provide resupply services to the station through 2026, ensuring continuous science and cargo delivery so that the crew members can continue to conduct scientific research and technology development that benefits people on Earth and supports human missions to the Moon and Mars.

In 2020, NASA ordered two additional missions from Northrop Grumman, and three additional missions from SpaceX beyond the minimum guaranteed. With this, NASA has ordered a total of 32 missions for cargo resupply missions under the CRS-2 contracts with 14 missions to Northrop Grumman, three missions to Sierra Nevada Corporation (now Sierra Space), and 15 missions to SpaceX.

Meanwhile, NASA is preparing for the launch of the SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19. The Crew-4 mission will carry an international crew of four astronauts to the orbital complex on a new Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket for a science expedition mission.

NASA has ordered six additional @space_station resupply missions from SpaceX! Dragon will continue to deliver critical cargo and supplies to and from the orbiting lab through 2026 → https://t.co/HRhhDapsD9 pic.twitter.com/604UTJBynW

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 25, 2022

NASA is also gearing up for the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Dubbed Axiom Mission 1 or Ax-1, the mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than Sunday, April 3, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The agency has already completed Flight Readiness Review for the mission.

The Axiom crew will spend eight days aboard the orbiting laboratory conducting scientific research, outreach, and commercial activities before their return to Earth. The crew will splash down off the coast of Florida after spending 10 days in orbit.