Amazing achievement
http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20081223
HAWTHORNE, CA – December 23, 2008 – NASA today announced its selection of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for the International Space Station (ISS) Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract award. The contract is for a guaranteed minimum of 20,000 kg to be carried to the International Space Station. The firm contracted value is $1.6 billion and NASA may elect to order additional missions for a cumulative total contract value of up to $3.1 billion...
Although this hasn't seen a lot of major press it is a pretty amazing announcement. (given the other matters around predicting the end of the economy, capitalism, and democracy I guess it didn't deserve the attention:-). Not only are they doing launches for 1/4 the cost of the government/taxpayer provided alternative, they are the first company to get to a usable rocket platform on private money. No government agency specing the design and backing the risk. There will be others, probably quite a few others, but Elon Musk and his team deserve a huge amount of kudos for pulling this off.
HAWTHORNE, CA – December 23, 2008 – NASA today announced its selection of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for the International Space Station (ISS) Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract award. The contract is for a guaranteed minimum of 20,000 kg to be carried to the International Space Station. The firm contracted value is $1.6 billion and NASA may elect to order additional missions for a cumulative total contract value of up to $3.1 billion...
Although this hasn't seen a lot of major press it is a pretty amazing announcement. (given the other matters around predicting the end of the economy, capitalism, and democracy I guess it didn't deserve the attention:-). Not only are they doing launches for 1/4 the cost of the government/taxpayer provided alternative, they are the first company to get to a usable rocket platform on private money. No government agency specing the design and backing the risk. There will be others, probably quite a few others, but Elon Musk and his team deserve a huge amount of kudos for pulling this off.
posted by gene at
9:01 AM
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