NASA Orders Additional Cargo Flights to Space Station
NASA Program Update
NASA has ordered 12 additional missions under its Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contracts to ensure continuous science and cargo delivery for the agency and its international partners to the International Space Station.
The 12 additional missions ordered – six each to Northrop Grumman and SpaceX – will provide resupply services to the station through 2026.
In 2016, NASA awarded three American companies CRS-2 contracts to resupply the International Space Station so crew members can continue to conduct science research and technology development that benefits people on Earth and supports human missions to the Moon and Mars.
While the maximum potential value of all contracts is $14 billion, NASA orders missions as needed, and the total prices paid under the contract will depend on which mission types are ordered.
On Oct. 16, 2020, NASA ordered two additional missions from Northrop Grumman, and three additional missions from SpaceX beyond the minimum guaranteed.
With this action, a total of 32 missions have been ordered by the agency for cargo resupply missions under the CRS-2 contracts with 14 missions to Northrop Grumman, three missions to Sierra Nevada Corporation (now Sierra Space), and 15 missions to SpaceX.
For information about NASA’s commercial resupply of the space station, visit:
10 responses to “NASA Orders Additional Cargo Flights to Space Station”
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Not great news for those of us who want the space station to nowhere to end so those resources can be focused on a lunar return.
You should be accustomed to “bad” news by now – you get so much of it.
I wonder if there are enough Antares first stages, which are made in Ukraine, available to fulfill the contracted number of flights.
There are only two complete Antares rockets in the stockpile right now, for the two remaining Cygnus missions on the current contract.
You are right to wonder how will Northrop Grumman launch another 6 Cygnus missions considering that Ukraine is unlikely to build more Antares booster stages anytime soon and Russia will not be selling any more RD-191 engines for it.
Maybe NASA is being overly optimistic and hoping to fly those additional Cygnus missions on ULA Vulcan..?
Only if Jeff B delivers the BE-4 engines in time. Not likely, IMO.
But it shouldn’t be a problem. There are those sooty vehicles that can filled in. As long as NASA don’t throw a hissy fit and NGSS wants to save some cash.
NASA wants dissimilar redundancy for Commercial Crew and Commercial Cargo. That was the reason why back in 2014 when the 4th flight of Antares/Cygnus experienced an RUD just seconds after liftoff, Orbital ATK had ULA launch 3 subsequent Cygnus missions on Atlas V rather than Falcon 9, which would have been cheaper.
I’m guessing NASA would prefer NOC buy Vulcan launches for the additional Cygnus missions even if it’s hopium at this point 😛
The choice is with flying on the Falcon 9 after the Antares is retired with the last 2 remaining launchers. Or not flying at all. Since the Vulcan Centaur might make it’s inaugural flight no earlier than mid 2023 AIUI. NGSS might not be able to book a flight before mid 2024 with many ULA customers already waiting for their rides.
NASA might want dissimilar redundancy for commercial crew and commercial cargo. But that isn’t possible in the near future for commercial cargo.
On the bright side. We should see over 55 Falcon 9/Falcon Heavy launches this year and maybe next year if the Starship encounters more FAA paperwork issues.
While I am skeptical on some of the Starship technical issues, I am distressed that paperwork/bureaucracy issues might be the delays. Especially those caused by haters with no legitimate involvement in the issue.
Probably. But in the scheme of priorities, preserving dissimilar redundancy will take a backseat to keeping the cargo flying. If Vulcan is sufficiently late as to be unavailable for Cygnus by 2H 2023, then Cygnus will ride the Falcon.
Maybe they will use there on solid rocket motors.