Reports: Boeing To Beat Out SpaceX For NASA Contract – Thanks To Jeff Bezos

Artist conception of Boeing CST-100 approaching the ISS. (Credit: Boeing)

Update on September 16 at 4:32 EDT: NASA has officially awarded both Boeing and SpaceX these commercial crew contracts. You can read the full story about the awards here.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Boeing is likely to be the primary winner of NASAs Commercial Crew contract. This contract, which is worth billions, is being awarded for the final phase of development for a manned spacecraft that can take astronauts to the International Space Station and serve as a replacement for the Space Shuttle. That contract is expected to be awarded this month.

There are currently three contenders for the Commercial Crew contract: Boeing, which is developing a manned capsule currently named the CST-100; SpaceX, whose unmanned version of its Dragon capsule has made several trips to the space station, and Sierra Nevada Corporation, whose winged Dream Chaser spacecraft will be capable of landing on a runway.

According to the WSJ report, a growing consensus of experts in industry and government believe Boeing will win the primary award of the contract, due to a belief that the veteran aerospace company is the least risky option. The report also notes that there is likely to be a smaller award to develop an alternative to Boeings CST-100, and that award is likely to go to SpaceX.

One thing that may have clinched the deal for Boeing, according to Reuters, is an unexpected assist from Jeff Bezos. According to that report, Bezos commercial space venture, Blue Origin, will be working with the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance to develop a new rocket engine to replace the currently Russian-built RD-180 engine.

Blue Origin is currently developing what it calls the BE-3 rocket engine for flights of its planned New Shephard space capsule. This liquid hydrogen fueled engine had its first successful full-cycle test in December of last year.

Blue Origin tests its BE-3 rocket engine. (Credit: Blue Origin)

Boeings CST-100 is designed to be lifted into orbit on a ULA Atlas 5 rocket, which features the RD-180 engine. However, a number of government officials have expressed concerned about ULAs reliance on the Russian engines, particularly because ULA is currently the only launch provider for the military and other government agencies. Earlier this year, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister threatened that the country would halt the export of RD-180 engines to the U.S. However, engine deliveries since have so far continued uninterrupted.

ULA has stated that it currently has a two year supply of the engines, and last week the company announced that it was finalizing details related to the development of a replacement engine with a U.S. aerospace partner. If these reports are correct and the partner referred to is Blue Origin, this may be what tipped the decision in their favor.

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Reports: Boeing To Beat Out SpaceX For NASA Contract - Thanks To Jeff Bezos