Praise for NASA’s Commercial Cargo Contract Awards

Commercial Spaceflight Federation

NASA announced three cargo contract awards to ensure robust and affordable transportation of critical supplies, scientific experiments and commercial payloads to and from the International Space Station (ISS) through at least 2024. NASA selected Orbital ATK, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and SpaceX to continue and expand upon its successful public-private partnerships with American companies to obtain reliable cargo resupply services for the ISS.

“CSF congratulates NASA, Orbital ATK, Sierra Nevada Corporation, SpaceX, and their spaceport partners, Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) and Florida’s Cape Canaveral Spaceport launch and landing site, on their commitment to resupply the ISS through 2024,” said CSF President Eric Stallmer. “The ISS is a critical laboratory for scientific and technological research that will enable U.S. human space exploration beyond LEO, as well as a dynamic commercial marketplace for technology demonstrations and SmallSat deployments. These Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contracts will not only expand ISS users’ access to greater cargo capability, but also provide increased schedule certainty and mission flexibility to ensure the fullest possible utilization of the ISS’s revolutionary capabilities, while creating resupply capacity for future private sector stations in LEO as well.”

Lamar Smith

Rep. Lamar Smith
Rep. Brian Babin

Washington, D.C. – Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Space Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin (R-Texas) released the following statement today after NASA announced awardees for the next phase of the Commercial Cargo program.

Chairmen Smith and Babin: “Congratulations to SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada on their awards for the next round of Commercial Cargo Resupply Contracts, which also supports our human spaceflight program. These companies and the thousands they employ have a crucial task before them as they supply the International Space Station.

“The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act that was recently signed into law is a testament to Congress’s support of the commercial space industry that is vital to maintaining American space leadership. The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee will continue working closely with these contractors and NASA as we learn more details.”

Space Florida President Frank DiBello

The companies announced today will be contracted to ferry supplies to the International Space Station from 2016-2024.

Frank DiBello
President, Space Florida

Space Florida congratulates Orbital ATK, Sierra Nevada, and SpaceX on their successful selection as providers under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract. Today’s announcement marks another important milestone in the space industry’s transition from government owned and operated systems to a more flexible and efficient commercial services model.

Orbital ATK, Sierra Nevada, and SpaceX each continue to play a critical role in this transition. Space Florida looks forward to supporting and enabling the increased activity at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport as each company works towards providing Commercial Resupply Services launches from Florida.