Boeing likely winner of ISS astronaut contract

[ringpriest]

"Boeing said to win NASA space taxi contract". From the article:

Boeing seems set to win a lucrative contract to build space taxis for NASA, potentially beating out rival SpaceX in the process.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Boeing, the Chicago-based aerospace giant, may well be the winner of the competition to build spacecraft that would take astronauts to and from orbit.

This is for crew transport, intended to start next year, and shouldn't affect SpaceX's existing contract for cargo delivery to the ISS.

This decision may very well be a win-win for NASA, since Elon Musk will likely go ahead and build a man-rated Dragon capsule anyway, particularly with the possibility of a smaller NASA contract, as is mentioned in the article.


Edited to add:

NASA to Make Major Announcement Today About Astronaut Transport to the International Space Station

Another update:
Reports: Boeing To Beat Out SpaceX For NASA Contract - Thanks To Jeff Bezos

[Puremallace]

Beats what we are paying Russia. I am watching this announcement also. Little pissed Space X will more then likely not get it.

[Masark]

since Elon Musk will likely go ahead and build a man-rated Dragon capsule anyway

They've already got an agreement with Bigelow to use the mDragon to put people on Bigelow's private space station(s), assuming they ever get off the ground.

[TZK203]

Is it wrong if I read the thread title as: "Boeing likely winner of ISIS astronaut contract?"

[Shalcker]

I'm fairly certain that it's price "beats" what US is paying Russians... by several orders of magnitude, yes.

Current Russian price is just 70 million $ per seat.

[Rukentuts]

The price of using a spacecraft from this millennium and not being forced to outsource to an increasingly hostile adversary.

[ringpriest]

I'm fairly certain that it's price "beats" what US is paying Russians... by several orders of magnitude, yes.

Current Russian price is just 70 million $ per seat.

I believe Dragon2 is talking $20 million per seat, if SpaceX gets the contract. No idea where Boeing would be in comparison.

[Shalcker]

I believe Dragon2 is talking $20 million per seat, if SpaceX gets the contract. No idea where Boeing would be in comparison.

There obviously will be additional development and production costs in order of a few billions $.

Maybe it'll pay for itself in a few years; or maybe it'll pay for itself in decade, traffic to ISS is not exactly high.

Competition is good either way.

[MerinPally]

It's less of a competition thing and more of a boycott and getting a suitable replacement...

[Lolretadin]

And then everyone realized that the ISS is a colossal waste of money, providing almost no tangible benefits for its price-tag of 100 Billion dollars.
(I don't like the ISS)

[Shalcker]

It's less of a competition thing and more of a boycott and getting a suitable replacement...

It is only not competition if they'll be used for US and US only astronauts; otherwise it is.

Maybe we'll adjust pricing, maybe we make something cheaper ourselves, or maybe we'll just focus on nuclear engines for orbital tugs and interplanetary travel.

[fumblz]

It is only not competition if they'll be used for US and US only astronauts; otherwise it is.

Maybe we'll adjust pricing, maybe we make something cheaper ourselves, or maybe we'll just focus on nuclear engines for orbital tugs and interplanetary travel.

Then we'll build a nuclear engine that will get us to mars in 30 days :3
http://www.space.com/20609-nuclear-f...cket-mars.html

[Deleted]

Dont try to weasel around here Shalcker - Russia will be pushed out from competitive space exploration in all fronts by 2018.

[Shalcker]

Then we'll build a nuclear engine that will get us to mars in 30 days :3
http://www.space.com/20609-nuclear-f...cket-mars.html

Eh, fusion engine? "Concept art"? Clearly situation of "more research [grants] required".

By comparison our design will use tested and true principles.

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Dont try to weasel around here Shalcker - Russia will be pushed out from competitive space exploration in all fronts by 2018.

I fail to see how possibly repeating feat from 1960s of getting man to orbit suddenly spells doom to entire Russian aerospace industry.

We do have Angara coming up next for "competitive space exploration".

[Deleted]

I fail to see how possibly repeating feat from 1960s of getting man to orbit suddenly spells doom to entire Russian aerospace industry.

We do have Angara coming up next for "competitive space exploration".

Mars,yo! Whos there right now? Right-o. Who`s going to land first man on Mars? Right-o.

Angara is outmached by what SpaceX will offer.Have fun in LEO.

[Shalcker]

Mars,yo! Whos there right now? Right-o. Who`s going to land first man on Mars? Right-o.

Russia, obviously. Our spacecraft with nuclear engine for this (also advertised as "to Mars in 30 days") is supposed to be launched in 2025.

Angara is outmached by what SpaceX will offer.Have fun in LEO.

There are different trajectories and different orbits which are easier or harder to reach from different launchpads, as well as limit on available launch windows.

We'll manage.

[PACOX]

Eh, fusion engine? "Concept art"? Clearly situation of "more research [grants] required".

By comparison our design will use tested and true principles.

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I fail to see how possibly repeating feat from 1960s of getting man to orbit suddenly spells doom to entire Russian aerospace industry.

We do have Angara coming up next for "competitive space exploration".

Russia space industry consists of playing taxi to astronauts. Not much else going on.

Kind of impressive that the US will have another launch vehicle in the coming year but why continue to spend money the ISS besides basic upkeep and low level projects? Let the ISS go!

We need to start working on a next gen station, not a upscaled space shuttle cargo bay. We need something to get us to the next step of surviving in space. We need a space base and not just a space station, something that could support a mission to Mars because such a mission will probably require some sort of orbital facility(s) to be feasible.

[Shalcker]

Russia space industry consists of playing taxi to astronauts. Not much else going on.

Also launching all kinds of satellites and new rocket family Angara to reduce dependency on foreign launchpad at Baikonur, Khazakhstan.

We need to start working on a next gen station, not a upscaled space shuttle cargo bay. We need something to get us to the next step of surviving in space. We need a space base and not just a space station, something that could support a mission to Mars because such a mission will probably require some sort of orbital facility(s) to be feasible.

It's good to know that Russia is ahead of you here as well - we got it planned to mid-2020s...

With growing tensions i'm sure this image-boosting project will get all green light possible. Nothing like a good rivalry to revive Space Race.

[Theinquisition]

This is great news, especially for the Avaition community. It will create thousands of jobs. Hell I might just have to brush up my resume and see what kind of openings they will be having.

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Also launching all kinds of satellites and new rocket family Angara to reduce dependency on foreign launchpad at Baikonur, Khazakhstan.

It's good to know that Russia is ahead of you here as well - we got it planned to mid-2020s...

With growing tensions i'm sure this image-boosting project will get all green light possible. Nothing like a good rivalry to revive Space Race.

Don't worry, im sure the Russian space station will look like its put toghter my orks from Warhammer 40k

[Ausr]

This is great news, especially for the Avaition community. It will create thousands of jobs. Hell I might just have to brush up my resume and see what kind of openings they will be having.

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Don't worry, im sure the Russian space station will look like its put toghter my orks from Warhammer 40k

Can't be any worse than MIR.