SpaceX, an emerging space corporation that is slowly (but surely) winning over NASA's affection has been awarded a contract by the space agency in order to transport cargo into orbit.
(NASA Press Release) NASA has awarded Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, a NASA Launch Services contract for the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 launch vehicles. [...]
The contract is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract where NASA may order launch services through June 30, 2010, for launches to occur through December 2012. Under the NASA Launch Services IDIQ contracts, the potential total contract value is between $20,000 and $1 billion, depending on the number of missions awarded.
The contract seeks a launch capability for payloads weighing 551 pounds or heavier into a circular orbit of 124 miles at an orbital inclination of 28.5 degrees. Payloads would be launched to support three NASA mission directorates: Science, Space Operations and Exploration Systems.
Despite the fact that this deals mainly with cargo, SpaceX is one of the few companies attempting at lowering the cost of launching humans and objects into space, thereby making it easier for corporations to enter into space.
If successful, Elon Musk (the CEO of SpaceX) may be able to help humanity not only reach the Moon, but Mars as well.
(Image Credit: SpaceX)
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One of the reasons that he started SpaceX in the first place is because he wanted to send an experiment to mars but found out how high the launch costs are.
ReplyDeleteHey John,
ReplyDeleteReally? That is cool to hear!
If that is the case, then we actually might see Elon launching rockets to Mars in the next decade (or two). :-)
~Darnell