NASA awarded $50 million in stimulus money to five teams in support of the transportation of crew to and from low Earth orbit. The award came the same day the president's budget was submitted to Congress. It provided no money for the Constellation Program, which aimed to return astronauts to the moon, and instead favors investing in a commercial space taxi to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. In awarding the money, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said the agency is "pleased to be able to quickly move forward to advance this exciting plan for NASA." The money is the result of open competition for funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., was awarded $20 million and Boeing in Houston was awarded $18 million. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colo., Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., and Paragon Space Development Corp., Tucson, Ariz., will get $6.7 million, $3.7 million and $1.4 million, respectively. (Source: NASA, 02/01/10) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center, Miss., are both involved in the Constellation Program.
NEWS: A digest of aerospace, defense and technology news from the Gulf Coast I-10 region
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
NASA awards $50M
NASA awarded $50 million in stimulus money to five teams in support of the transportation of crew to and from low Earth orbit. The award came the same day the president's budget was submitted to Congress. It provided no money for the Constellation Program, which aimed to return astronauts to the moon, and instead favors investing in a commercial space taxi to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. In awarding the money, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said the agency is "pleased to be able to quickly move forward to advance this exciting plan for NASA." The money is the result of open competition for funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., was awarded $20 million and Boeing in Houston was awarded $18 million. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colo., Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., and Paragon Space Development Corp., Tucson, Ariz., will get $6.7 million, $3.7 million and $1.4 million, respectively. (Source: NASA, 02/01/10) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center, Miss., are both involved in the Constellation Program.
