Sierra Nevada's dream chaser concept has already received considerable support NASA has on a note the company thinks it may be closest to commercial systems to carry American astronauts in space offers.With its shuttles on has to withdraw the Agency $270 m (￡ 166 m) funds to four companies to help them mature designs for new orbit vehicles offered.
Blue origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corp. and SpaceX hope, services sell astronaut "Taxi" on the NASA by mid decade.
Until then, crews on Russian rockets to the space station have to go to us.
"We look forward, a significant milestone in the development of commercial crew systems today are complete us, and we are very much looking forward to the future," said Philip McAlister, Director who development at the U.S. Space Agency Act commercial space flight.
"At some point soon, we hope that we commercial manned orbital low Earth orbit see solid, vibrant, for-profit, commercial enterprises with many providers and a wide variety of public and private users."
The winning companies have concepts in the development.
SpaceX, which garnered a lot of advertising recently, is perhaps the most advanced in his plans. The Hawthorne, California, company already has a Falcon 9 rocket and flown a capsule named Dragon. It is offered $75 m in the next year if certain objectives in the promotion of the dragon has crew-carrying roles.
The Boeing Company is to win, the biggest price according to the objectives of the NASA. Boeing's Houston, Texas, team a capsule design called CTS-100, which could carry up to seven astronauts on the space station. The $ 92. 3 m support offer helps the vehicle to get the company through a key, or provisional, design review.
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) of Louisville, Colorado, was already considerable financial support to NASA's commercial crew (CCDev) development effort. It is now in line, to a further ￡ 80 m in the last round of funding. SNC developed a shuttle-like vehicle called the dream chaser, which would start on a rocket.
Boeing crew space transportation (CTS) 100 craftThe fourth receiver, blue origin, Kent, Washington, founder of Jeff Bezos is a company of Amazon.com set up. Blue origin has much of its space development activity kept secret, but it requested funds from the NASA, it systems for a vehicle of cone shaped crew tires to help. It was up to 22 m ￡ awarded.
Perhaps are the companies who missed just as interesting as the companies that have won awards.
ATK which the solid fuel rocket include boosters (SRBs), to lift the space shuttle from the ground. ATK to a further development of these SRBs with the main core stage Europe's Ariane 5 rocket marry. The concept known as freedom, would be used to start other companies capsules and spacecraft.
ATK must secure now elsewhere means to idea to promote the liberty.
Also not on CCDev, money is ULA (United Launch Alliance). This is the company that operates Atlas and Delta rockets for the U.S. air force and NASA.
These vehicles often orbiting satellites, but ULA believes that the missiles could be changed, people also start.
Sierra Nevada, Boeing and blue origin had spoken loft all have crew proposed with an Atlas 5 to their ships.
Where on Monday, the announcement of NASA's ULA leaves plans, is uncertain. Again, it must use its own resources or are looking for partners, if you the project to man rate that wants to continue Atlas and Delta rockets.
"Because I am confident that several US companies were able to develop secure, reliable and cost effective commercial crew transportation systems, enough time and money", said Mr. McAlister.
"And I sincerely hope that the company is not enabled for award maturing their systems and progress today still in their designs, so that they can be offered may at some point in the future to the purchase of the NASA and other customers."
Contracts awarded NASA about $50 m in the first round of the commercial crew. You plans to significantly increase this funding next year to $850 m.
There are still much about discussed, in particular the US Congress, the willingness of the private sector enable the safe crew transport system. There are also doubts about whether the sourcing strategy of developing significant savings for the taxpayer U.S. will deliver you.
But John Gedmark, Managing Director of the commercial spaceflight Federation, was adamant, now front was the NASA on the only sustainable way to.
"Use of private investment is the only way, that the his dollars go further in these times of the belt NASA can make more closely," he said.
"And send to Russia by investing in commercial space flight, rather than continue to billions of dollars, NASA's commercial crew program creates American jobs instead send abroad."
ATK needs to develop alternative funds their freedom rocket idea Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk search
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