NASA awards SpaceX deal to provide cargo to Gateway
Capitalism in space: Should NASA ever decide to build its proposed Gateway space station in orbit around the Moon (the odds of which have gone down recently), it announced today that it has signed a deal with SpaceX to use its Falcon Heavy rocket and an upgraded larger version of its Dragon capsule to ship cargo to that station.
The deal calls for at least two missions, and is SpaceX’s first deal in NASA’s Artemis program.
This deal is a major blow to SLS and Boeing, which up to now had a monopoly on all launches to supply and launch Gateway. In fact, Gateway was invented by Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and NASA (not Congress) in order to justify SLS’s existence. That NASA has now decided it is better off using the much cheaper and already operational Falcon Heavy for some Gateway missions suggests that SLS is increasingly vulnerable to cancellation. NASA is making it obvious that other commercial options exist. No need to wait years and spend billions for SLS, when they can go now, for much less.
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In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
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Capitalism in space: Should NASA ever decide to build its proposed Gateway space station in orbit around the Moon (the odds of which have gone down recently), it announced today that it has signed a deal with SpaceX to use its Falcon Heavy rocket and an upgraded larger version of its Dragon capsule to ship cargo to that station.
The deal calls for at least two missions, and is SpaceX’s first deal in NASA’s Artemis program.
This deal is a major blow to SLS and Boeing, which up to now had a monopoly on all launches to supply and launch Gateway. In fact, Gateway was invented by Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and NASA (not Congress) in order to justify SLS’s existence. That NASA has now decided it is better off using the much cheaper and already operational Falcon Heavy for some Gateway missions suggests that SLS is increasingly vulnerable to cancellation. NASA is making it obvious that other commercial options exist. No need to wait years and spend billions for SLS, when they can go now, for much less.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Could the killing of SLS be the cost to get a Covid 19 loan from the government to save Boeing?
Drop the SlS to save the Max?
I think it’s an admission that SLS may not be the vehicle we will use to explore (and settle) the rest of the solar system. At the very least, NASA is keeping its options open. SLS is a failure and they know it.
What are you talking about Robert? SLS did not
have a monopoly of Gateway flights. In fact,
SLS had no Gateway flights at all. Both previous
Gateway contracts — the Power and Propulsion
Element and the MiniHab (the only Gateway
elements needed for the 2024 flight under the
original plan) — provided for commercial launches
for their elements. Boeing won neither of htose.
Oh, and Boeing has been massively lobbying
*against* Gateway for quite some time now.
Their preference is an expendable architecture
using two SLS flights and no commercial flights
per Artemis mission. They are opposed to the
Gateway-centered re-usable architecture planned
for Artemis. It seems in this case you have
things exactly backwards.
From a European perspective, whatever way around it is/was… This is a win for the you guys… Capitalism at its best…. And to be fair… NASA is head and shoulders above anyone else at robotic missions… But when it comes to launches, SpaceX kicks NASAs butt. As You have pointed out so many times Bob, it seems that the SLS is more of a jobs program than a serious attempt to throw stuff into space. I’m pleased that sanity seems to be falling into place, and the logical plan is being considered. I know we don’t see eye to eye on many subjects… But on this space related one, ( which is why I am here ).. go USA!
mkent,
It sure is striking how rapidly Boeing’s enthusiasm for the Gateway has receded as it became evident they weren’t getting any contracts to build it, or for SLS to launch it.
So an architecture where Boeing gets billions more to develop an expensive upper stage for SLS (which of course will take much longer and cost much more money than anticipated) is just the ticket for them, regardless of whether they get a lander contract or not. Unfortunately, it looks like they have a fair shot at getting what they want.
I am not finding much info regarding the DragonVL mentioned in the articles, so I am assuming this is still theoretical. Usually Musk likes to throw something out, even if the numbers are huge or outlandish, and then pared down to reality later.
Dragon XL…