Tag: CST-100

SpaceX, Boeing, Aim for 2017 Crew Flights

SpaceX, Boeing, Aim for 2017 Crew Flights

A press conference held at Johnson Space Center on Monday did not delivery any real surprises regarding NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, but it did fill in a few missing details regarding agreements which have been embargoed since mid-September due Sierra Nevada’s bid protest. It also provided a bit more information about SpaceX’s upcoming plans. Some […]

GAO Denies SNC Dream Chaser Protest

GAO Denies SNC Dream Chaser Protest

Dream Deferred: Image Credit SNC The New Year did not bring good news for Sierra Nevada and its Dream Chaser space plane. As most expected would be the case, the GAO notified SNC that it is denying the company’s protest over NASA’s Commercial Crew award to Boeing and SpaceX. GAO said in part: “In making […]

SpaceX, Boeing Complete First CCtCap Milestones

SpaceX, Boeing Complete First CCtCap Milestones

NASA Press Release RELEASE 14-340 SpaceX Completes First Milestone for Commercial Crew Transportation System NASA has approved the completion of SpaceX’s first milestone in the company’s path toward launching crews to the International Space Station (ISS) from U.S. soil under a Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract with the agency. During the Certification Baseline Review, […]

Time For a Sanity Check on the Orion Spacecraft

Time For a Sanity Check on the Orion Spacecraft

NASA’s Exploration Flight Test-1 of a partially completed Orion spacecraft has proven to be a field day for the agency’s goal of inextricably linking the words “Orion” and “Mars” in the public perception and cementing the notion that the agency is indeed taking the first step towards a manned landing on the Red Planet. Perhaps […]

Posted in: Mars, NASA, SLS / Orion
Boeing Completes Final CCiCap Milestones (Again?)

Boeing Completes Final CCiCap Milestones (Again?)

Image Credit: Boeing Note: NASA’s start work /stop work/ start work edicts to Boeing and SpaceX due to the Sierra Nevada Commercial Crew bid protest do not apply to the work being performed under CCiCap. The timing of this announcement is also a little strange. Boeing announced in August that it had completed all of […]

Hold On A Minute! SNC Files New Motion for Dream Chaser

Hold On A Minute! SNC Files New Motion for Dream Chaser

Still Holding On:  Image Credit Sierra Nevada Corporation. The Wall Street Journal (yes, Andy Pasztor) reports that Sierra Nevada has taken its protest of NASA’s Commercial Crew award to a new level. According to the story, SNC has filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. seeking to prevent NASA […]

Update: NewSpace V. Old Ways and SpaceX in Congressional Crosshairs

Update: NewSpace V. Old Ways and SpaceX in Congressional Crosshairs

Image Credit : SpaceX On Monday, Innerspace reported on a story in Space News about an excerpt from a letter sent by U.S. Representatives  Lamar Smith (Tx) and Steven Palazzo, (Ms) to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding the possible use of Orion as a backup to Commercial Crew. Significantly, the letter also questioned whether or […]

On The Path To a Modular Exploration Architecture

On The Path To a Modular Exploration Architecture

Cygnus Approach Orion Image Credit: OSC One of the most common arguments put forward in support of NASA’s current program of exploration using the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft is that alternative modular missions launched by smaller boosters are inherently too complicated. The ISS, which required dozens of Shuttle and Russian launches to complete, […]

Av Week Article Gives More Insight Into NASA’s Commercial Crew Decision

Av Week Article Gives More Insight Into NASA’s Commercial Crew Decision

Image Credit: Boeing The NASA source selection statement for Commercial Crew is still not publicly available, at least officially, but Aviation Week has obtained a copy, and the resulting article sheds some light on what its says. From the article: “The internal document, signed by NASA Associate Administrator William Gerstenmaier on Sept. 15, the day […]

Did Boeing Really Beat SpaceX? Fact Checking NASA Leaks

Did Boeing Really Beat SpaceX? Fact Checking NASA Leaks

The Wall Street Journal’s Andy Pasztor has a less than stellar record when it comes to reporting on SpaceX, as readers may recall from this confused mishmash of story conflating an upcoming announcement from Blue Origin with NASA’s entirely separate announcement of the results of its Commercial Crew awards which came out the next day. […]

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