Beth Dickey/J. D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087/5241
Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
RELEASE: 07-20
COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION CAPABILITIES AGREEMENTS SIGNED
On Wednesday, NASA agreed to cooperate with PlanetSpace Inc. of
Chicago and Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space) of Reston, Va., to
facilitate the commercialization of low-Earth orbit as they develop
capabilities to transport goods and people to orbital destinations.
The non-reimbursable Space Act agreements signed by NASA and the two
companies involve no agency funding to the companies. The pacts
establish milestones and objective criteria by which the companies
can gauge their own progress, as part of the agency's Commercial Crew
and Cargo Program.
Under the agreements, NASA will share information that will help the
companies understand projected requirements for space station crew
and cargo transportation launch vehicles, spacecraft and NASA human
rating criteria.
PlanetSpace and t/Space will work to develop and demonstrate the
vehicles, systems and operations needed to transport crews and cargo
to and from a low-Earth orbit destination. NASA will acknowledge the
companies' milestone accomplishments.
"NASA is proud to reach agreements with two more private companies
dedicating their own resources toward establishment of a robust
commercial launch industry," said Scott Horowitz, NASA associate
administrator for Exploration Systems. "By stimulating the growth of
commercial space enterprise, NASA will free itself to focus on
long-range exploration of the moon and Mars."
"The importance of these agreements is that they demonstrate the
willingness of entrepreneurs to invest their own resources with
NASA's commitment to help develop a whole new sector of the
commercial space industry," said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the
Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at Johnson Space Center,
Houston.
The program administers NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation
Services project. Its overarching goals are to stimulate commercial
enterprises in space; facilitate U.S. private industry development of
reliable, cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit, and to create a
market environment in which commercial space transportation services
are available to government and private customers.
Last year, NASA signed funded agreements with Space Exploration
Technologies of El Segundo, Calif., and Rocketplane Kistler of
Oklahoma City. t/Space was a finalist in that competition.
Once industry has demonstrated safe and reliable capabilities, NASA
plans to enter the next phase of the Commercial Crew and Cargo
Program and may purchase transportation services from commercial
providers to support the International Space Station.
For more information on NASA, visit:
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