As Tension Soar With Russia, NASA Buys a Ton of SpaceX Astronaut Launches

Three more Crew Dragon trips to the International Space Station have been awarded by NASA, bringing the total number of Crew Dragon trips to the outpost to nine, including three successful operational trips from the last two years.

The extension of the Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract will allow NASA to maintain an unimpeded US capability for human access to the space station, according to an announcement.

The timing of the announcement is noteworthy. While NASA makes no mention of Russia's invasion of Ukraine or the breakdown of international space relations, the news seems to show that the space agency is serious about relying on American-made rockets for the foreseeable future.

NASA has had to rely on Russian-made spaceships to ferry astronauts to and from the space station since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011.

After retiring the Space Shuttle in 2011, NASA had to rely on Russian-made Soyuz to ferry astronauts to and from the space station.

NASA will be able to launch its astronauts to the station from the US starting in 2020.

During three operational missions and one crewed test flight, astronauts have been flown to the International Space Station. The new contract means that the company will fly astronauts at least six more times.

It is worth noting that NASA has a better bargaining position in the face of the conflict because of the fact that SpaceX has given them a better bargaining position.

It is critical that we begin to secure additional flights to the space station now so that we are ready as these missions are needed to maintain a US presence on the station.

The only company in the US that is certified to fly astronauts to the space station is SpaceX.

NASA is willing to invest billions of dollars in SpaceX to keep operations going on board the aging orbital outpost. The CCtCap contract is worth more than $3 billion, even to SpaceX.

NASA's efforts to establish a commercial crew program appear to be paying off, and just in the nick of time, with the departure of the Soyuz spaceship.

NASA extends the Commercial Crew contract by three missions.

There is a reason NASA doesn't have to submit to Russia.

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