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Commercial Resupply Services
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Commercial Resupply Services
Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) are a series of flights awarded by NASA for the delivery of cargo and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) on commercially operated spacecraft.
The first phase of CRS contracts (CRS-1) were signed in 2008 and awarded $1.6 billion to SpaceX for twelve Dragon 1 and $1.9 billion to Orbital Sciences for eight Cygnus flights, covering deliveries to 2016. The first operational resupply missions were flown by SpaceX in 2012 (CRS SpX-1) and Orbital in 2014 (CRS Orb-1). In 2015, NASA extended CRS-1 to twenty flights for SpaceX and twelve flights for Orbital ATK.
A second phase of contracts (CRS-2) was solicited in 2014. CRS-2 contracts were awarded in January 2016 to Orbital ATK's continued use of Cygnus, Sierra Nevada Corporation's new Dream Chaser, and SpaceX's new Dragon 2, for cargo transport flights beginning in 2019 and expected to last through 2024.
NASA has been directed to pursue commercial spaceflight options since at least 1984, with the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 and Launch Services Purchase Act of 1990. By the 2000s funding was authorized for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, followed by the Commercial Crew Development program. The Antares and Falcon 9 launch vehicles and Cygnus and Dragon cargo spacecraft were developed using Space Act Agreements under the COTS program.
The first flight contracted by NASA, COTS Demo Flight 1, took place on December 8, 2010, demonstrating a Dragon capsule's ability to remain in orbit, receive and respond to ground commands, and communicate with NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. On August 15, 2011, SpaceX announced that NASA had combined the objectives of the COTS Demo Flight 2 and following Flight 3 into a single mission. The rescoped COTS Demo Flight 2 successfully launched on May 22, 2012, delivering cargo to the ISS. The spacecraft reentered on May 31, landed in the Pacific Ocean, and was recovered, completing CRS certification requirements.
Orbital Sciences first launched the Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on April 21, 2013, with a test payload. Orbital Sciences completed the Cygnus Orb-D1 demonstration flight on September 29, 2013, and the operational Cygnus CRS Orb-1 was launched January 9, 2014.
On December 23, 2008, NASA announced the initial awarding of cargo contracts - twelve flights to SpaceX and eight flights to Orbital Sciences Corporation. PlanetSpace, which was not selected, submitted a protest to the Government Accountability Office. On April 22, 2009, the GAO publicly released its decision to deny the protest, allowing the program to continue.
Transport flights began under Commercial Resupply Services phase 1 (CRS-1) in 2012:
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Commercial Resupply Services
Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) are a series of flights awarded by NASA for the delivery of cargo and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) on commercially operated spacecraft.
The first phase of CRS contracts (CRS-1) were signed in 2008 and awarded $1.6 billion to SpaceX for twelve Dragon 1 and $1.9 billion to Orbital Sciences for eight Cygnus flights, covering deliveries to 2016. The first operational resupply missions were flown by SpaceX in 2012 (CRS SpX-1) and Orbital in 2014 (CRS Orb-1). In 2015, NASA extended CRS-1 to twenty flights for SpaceX and twelve flights for Orbital ATK.
A second phase of contracts (CRS-2) was solicited in 2014. CRS-2 contracts were awarded in January 2016 to Orbital ATK's continued use of Cygnus, Sierra Nevada Corporation's new Dream Chaser, and SpaceX's new Dragon 2, for cargo transport flights beginning in 2019 and expected to last through 2024.
NASA has been directed to pursue commercial spaceflight options since at least 1984, with the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 and Launch Services Purchase Act of 1990. By the 2000s funding was authorized for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, followed by the Commercial Crew Development program. The Antares and Falcon 9 launch vehicles and Cygnus and Dragon cargo spacecraft were developed using Space Act Agreements under the COTS program.
The first flight contracted by NASA, COTS Demo Flight 1, took place on December 8, 2010, demonstrating a Dragon capsule's ability to remain in orbit, receive and respond to ground commands, and communicate with NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. On August 15, 2011, SpaceX announced that NASA had combined the objectives of the COTS Demo Flight 2 and following Flight 3 into a single mission. The rescoped COTS Demo Flight 2 successfully launched on May 22, 2012, delivering cargo to the ISS. The spacecraft reentered on May 31, landed in the Pacific Ocean, and was recovered, completing CRS certification requirements.
Orbital Sciences first launched the Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on April 21, 2013, with a test payload. Orbital Sciences completed the Cygnus Orb-D1 demonstration flight on September 29, 2013, and the operational Cygnus CRS Orb-1 was launched January 9, 2014.
On December 23, 2008, NASA announced the initial awarding of cargo contracts - twelve flights to SpaceX and eight flights to Orbital Sciences Corporation. PlanetSpace, which was not selected, submitted a protest to the Government Accountability Office. On April 22, 2009, the GAO publicly released its decision to deny the protest, allowing the program to continue.
Transport flights began under Commercial Resupply Services phase 1 (CRS-1) in 2012:
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