NASA orders five more Crew Dragon flights for its astronauts

To be able to ensure the rotations of its crews until the end of the decade, the American agency has decided to renew its confidence in SpaceX, which is guaranteed to have to operate a Crew-14 mission! A plebiscite for the Crew Dragon capsulewhose copies make many round trips.

But NASA has not forgotten Starliner…

Not an attack on Boeing

A few days after the return and first success of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, NASA’s announcement sounds a bit like a nasty tackle… But this schedule was not premeditated. Phil McAlister, Commercial Crew program manager, says: The OFT-2 flight went very well, and we hope to certify Starliner soon. However, we need additional missions with SpaceX before we can alternate crews between the two providers.. »

Thus, NASA orders 5 new missions from SpaceX with Crew Dragon, in addition to a previous contract extension expressed in January for 3 missions! Result: while the crew of Crew-4 is currently on board the ISS and that of Crew-5 is preparing for takeoff in September, NASA has already ordered enough flights to ensure… Crew-14.

Permanent presence

The American agency’s reasoning is simple. Until mid-2023, the rotation of its crews to the International Space Station will be provided solely by SpaceX (until Crew-6, therefore). After which, NASA hopes to have one Crew Dragon flight and one Starliner flight each year. But, as it intends to extend the life of the station until 2030 (using if necessary the extension of Axiom Space to have an American station), it requires a minimum of 6 additional missions.

And, to keep the margins useful, she added two more missions. Enough to give wings to SpaceX salespeople and ensure strong demand for the capsules… even though the company had ensured that production was finished! Remember that SpaceX also carries out other commercial missions, with Axiom or the initiatives of billionaire Jared Isaacman.

Crew Dragon, the routine?

For NASA, it is therefore a matter of securing the future. And, at a time when she must convince about budgets, she also reminds politicians of the success of this long-term program, which began in 2010.

It remains to be seen how SpaceX will manage with the agency the reuse of its Endeavour, Resilience, Endurance and Freedom capsules. A vitriolic article containing various revelations was published at the end of May on the site Space Exploredbut the latter has been the subject of denials, in particular from NASA, which claims to work hand in hand with its supplier and not to lower its vigilance.

Source :NASA