NASA has recently confirmed the three commercial companies that have won the bid to transport cargo to the International Space Station. Orbital ATK and SpaceX have yet again been selected for the mission. The U.S.'s space agency also chose a space technologies newcomer, Sierra Nevada, to top up their three choices.
The announcement comes following the administration's decision to contract out the space station missions.
"We continue to transform the way NASA does business and as a result, today we're able to mark another significant milestone that will carry President Obama's vision further into the future" quipped Charles Bolden, NASA administrator.
Last year, Sierra Nevada Corp. Failed to secure the NASA contract that would fly astronauts to the space station. The company has since outfitted their space craft dubbed as Dream Chaser to carry cargo instead of passengers subsequently securing its partnership with the space agency.
Mark Sirangelo, vice president of Sierra Nevada Corp., has explained that the Dream Chaser, which has been in development for over a decade, is more than a space shuttle. He described the technology as a space plane which according to Sirangelo is a more efficient way to travel in space.
Executives from the newly awarded company are needless to say honoured and excited for their new role. Eren Ozman, the company's president has since gushed about the opportunity bestowed on them saying:
"In such a major competition, we are truly humbled by the show of confidence in SNC and look forward to successfully demonstrating the extensive capabilities of the Dream Chaser spacecraft to the world."
SpaceX, Orbital ATK and Sierra Nevada Corp. Are expected to launch their respective spacecrafts in Florida. According to the contract, each company is tasked with a minimum of six missions with the first scheduled to launch three years from today. The total contract could possibly cost a whopping $14 billion.
