NASA Is Bringing Back Manned Missions to Space!
NASA is back! Last year, the space agency has announced a partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing to once again bring American astronauts from the Earth to outer space aboard American made spaceships. If you want, go ahead and high five the next bald eagle you see. Just maybe wear a glove.
NASA hasn't had its own manned spaceflight program since it retired the space shuttle program back in 2011, with eyes on other missions, like sending astronauts into the very deep space. Without an ability to send astronauts into space on its own, America has been forced to suffer the ultimate indignity: Paying Russia about $70 million a pop to allow us to catch a ride aboard one of their ships. NASA has been buying about six of those glorified car pools a year, which means we've already shelled out more than a billion on the rides since the last space shuttle was put into mothballs.
But now, thanks to good old American ingenuity, NASA is ready to ditch the Russians once and for all. "From day one, the Obama Administration made clear that the greatest nation on Earth should not be dependent on other nations to get into space," NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden told CNN. "Thanks to the leadership of President Obama, the hard work of our NASA and industry teams, and support from Congress, today we are one step closer to launching our astronauts from U.S. soil on American spacecraft and ending the nation’s sole reliance on Russia by 2017. Turning over low-Earth orbit transportation to private industry will also allow NASA to focus on an even more ambitious mission – sending humans to Mars."
SpaceX's contract is for $2.6 billion and Boeing will receive $4.2 billion. Each company will construct a new spaceship — the former the Crew Dragon and the latter the CST-100. Each will be built with the hopes of sending Americans soaring into orbit (safely!) by 2017. Not only do these contracts mean we'll be back in the space exploration business, the contracts will mean more jobs for many who need it. It's American through and through, baby! Set off some fireworks, raise the flag, eat too many hamburgers, unbutton your jeans and put on some Kid Rock! We're back, baby!
In a more reserved tone, Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in a press release, "This space agency has long been a technology innovator, and now we also can say we are an American business innovator, spurring job creation and opening up new markets to the private sector. The agency and our partners have many important steps to finish, but we have shown we can do the tough work required and excel in ways few would dare to hope." Dare to hope! Dare to hope! Dare to hope! Sorry, we couldn't resist.
[Image via Flickr - Matthew Siminov]
