All New For NASA

SpaceX will only use brand new Dragon V2 craft for NASA crew missions.
Both SpaceX and Boeing were offered the option of reflying capsules
and Boeing plans to do so, landing on dry land on airbags and then
reflying each of their capsules up to 10 times. SpaceX, however, has
announced that they will only use new spacecraft for NASA crewed
missions (and still compete on costs because Falcon 9 is so much
cheaper than any ULA launcher).

So what happens with all the 'gently used' capsules that will be
stacking up at SpaceX? Apparently the plan is to switch them to cargo
versions and use them to fly ISS resupply missions under the next NASA
Commercial Cargo contract. This will let SpaceX do the cargo launches
for less than half the price of any competitors. Some number of Crew
Dragon could presumably also be used for non-NASA launches.


--
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore,
all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
--George Bernard Shaw

In article ,
says...

SpaceX will only use brand new Dragon V2 craft for NASA crew missions.
Both SpaceX and Boeing were offered the option of reflying capsules
and Boeing plans to do so, landing on dry land on airbags and then
reflying each of their capsules up to 10 times. SpaceX, however, has
announced that they will only use new spacecraft for NASA crewed
missions (and still compete on costs because Falcon 9 is so much
cheaper than any ULA launcher).

So what happens with all the 'gently used' capsules that will be
stacking up at SpaceX? Apparently the plan is to switch them to cargo
versions and use them to fly ISS resupply missions under the next NASA
Commercial Cargo contract. This will let SpaceX do the cargo launches
for less than half the price of any competitors. Some number of Crew
Dragon could presumably also be used for non-NASA launches.

Actually their CRS2 contract is going to cost NASA more money than their
CRS1 contract. But, they're still cheaper than the competition even
with that cost increase. And, as I understand it, Dragon 2 has more
internal volume than Dragon. And because most Dragon flights have been
volume limited (for pressurized cargo), this means NASA will get more
cargo to ISS on fewer Dragon 2 flights than Dragon flights.

All in all, this is a good thing.

Jeff
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Jeff Findley wrote on Thu, 30 Aug 2018
07:06:45 -0400:

In article ,
says...

SpaceX will only use brand new Dragon V2 craft for NASA crew missions.
Both SpaceX and Boeing were offered the option of reflying capsules
and Boeing plans to do so, landing on dry land on airbags and then
reflying each of their capsules up to 10 times. SpaceX, however, has
announced that they will only use new spacecraft for NASA crewed
missions (and still compete on costs because Falcon 9 is so much
cheaper than any ULA launcher).

So what happens with all the 'gently used' capsules that will be
stacking up at SpaceX? Apparently the plan is to switch them to cargo
versions and use them to fly ISS resupply missions under the next NASA
Commercial Cargo contract. This will let SpaceX do the cargo launches
for less than half the price of any competitors. Some number of Crew
Dragon could presumably also be used for non-NASA launches.


Actually their CRS2 contract is going to cost NASA more money than their
CRS1 contract.


Yes, I know. But after the price increase they're still estimated to
be 50%-75% cheaper than the competition. I'm sure that if they simply
let to the 'best value' bidder SpaceX would wind up with all the
business. But they have 'no more single point failures' as part of
their objective, so they're going to buy much more expensive launches
to keep the competition in business.


--
"Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute."
-- Charles Pinckney