NASA - cargo to ISS contract extended

[holmec]

NASA article:<br />http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/apr/HQ_C07-18_Roscosmos.html<br /><br />"NASA has signed a $719 million modification to the current International Space Station contract with Russia’s Federal Space Agency in Moscow for crew and cargo services through 2011."<br /><br />"U.S. Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) are still planned to provide the bulk of cargo transportation needs from 2010 and beyond to the space station."<br /><br />Very nice. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[shoogerbrugge]

Interesting, 719mln is quite a bit of money for the Russian space industry. I doubt that this will be the last contract though, just don't see it happening that COTS will be up and running within 4 years.

 

[holmec]

I wonder if COTS cargo deliery is not just limited to the winners of the COTS grant. Like SpaceDev's Dreamchaser, they claim to want to take cargo to ISS. I also suspect that NASA's invitation to commercial companies to take up cargo is not a hard appointment, but whenever a company is ready to try.<br /><br />I agree 4 years is pretty tight. But if its going to be 2010 then its just 3 years left. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[jimfromnsf]

"I wonder if COTS cargo deliery is not just limited to the winners of the COTS grant. Like SpaceDev's Dreamchaser, they claim to want to take cargo to ISS. I also suspect that NASA's invitation to commercial companies to take up cargo is not a hard appointment, but whenever a company is ready to try. "<br /><br />COTS is not a contract to deliver cargo. It is only the demonstration of the capability to deliver cargo. <br /><br />The contract for delivery of actual cargo (COTS II?)will be competed in a few years. Anyone wilth a demonstrated capability is eligible to respond to this contract

 

[holmec]

>COTS is not a contract to deliver cargo. It is only the demonstration of the capability to deliver cargo. <<br /><br />Well COTS seems to have been NASA's program to aquire commercial equipment even before this cargo delivery demonstration. <br /><br />http://parts.jpl.nasa.gov/cots/cots_prog.html<br /><br />So this 'demo' is for two companies that were selected. Maybe NASA is looking for more performance from commercial space than this demo. And the pdf seems to point in that direction. <br /><br /> />The contract for delivery of actual cargo (COTS II?)will be competed in a few years. Anyone wilth a demonstrated capability is eligible to respond to this contract<<br /><br />DOH! So there is a definite intent to use commercial space for ISS cargo? Do you have a link available? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

Well I did find the following article:<br />http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/news/COTS_selection.html<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><br />This model for pursuing of commercial space services is another first for NASA and a reflection on the growing maturing of commercial space capabilities. "This is not a traditional NASA procurement or program. We could change the economics of space flight with this," said Lindenmoyer, whose office oversees COTS. NASA expects use of this model to increase over time as the exploration program unfolds, potentially extending to the provision of power, communications, and habitation facilities by commercial entities.<br /><br />Limited resources and the space shuttle's pending retirement created the need for the new service, and the emergence of enabling technology has created a favorable environment for COTS development, according to Timm. Industry interest was keen, with nearly 100 companies submitting expressions of interest and 20 companies submitting initial proposals.<br /><br /><b>NASA expects that purchasing commercial space transportation services will be more economical than developing government systems of comparable capability.</b> This could free up additional resources for lunar missions and other activities beyond low-Earth orbit.<br /><br />The biggest benefit of the anticipated cost savings is the opening of new markets for an emerging industry, according to Lindenmoyer. "If we had cost-effective access, many new markets -- biotechnology, microgravity research, industrial parks in space, manufacturing, tourism -- could start to open. That's what is so important about this effort."<br /> <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

BTW it looks like kistler has changed its website. I don't remember seeing the following:<br />http://www.rocketplanekistler.com/k1vehicle/k1vehicle.html<br /><br />They show an ISS payload module but no sign of the before envisioned manned module. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[jimfromnsf]

Andrews Space is making the payload modules

 

[jimfromnsf]

"<br /> <br />Re: NASA - cargo to ISS contract extended [re: jimfromnsf][link to this post] <br />Reply to this postReply <br /><br /> />COTS is not a contract to deliver cargo. It is only the demonstration of the capability to deliver cargo. <<br /><br />Well COTS seems to have been NASA's program to aquire commercial equipment even before this cargo delivery demonstration.<br /><br />http://parts.jpl.nasa.gov/cots/cots_prog.html<br /><br />So this 'demo' is for two companies that were selected. Maybe NASA is looking for more performance from commercial space than this demo. And the pdf seems to point in that direction. "<br /><br />You are mixing up two terms and programs<br /><br />COTS - Commercial Off The Shelf<br />COTS- Commercial Orbital Transportation Services

 

[holmec]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><br />COTS is not a contract to deliver cargo. It is only the demonstration of the capability to deliver cargo.<br /><p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />You can't demo it unless you do it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[jimfromnsf]

"You can't demo it unless you do it."<br /><br />Not so. Dummy mass can be lifted to orbit. A "surrogate" ISS could be used for rendevous. Actual cargo to the ISS is not required to meet the intend of a COTS demo