Boeing and Bezos-backed Blue Origin receive space-vehicle funding

Four companies, including two from Washington, have received nearly $270 million from NASA to develop commercial crew space transportation systems as part of NASAs second round Commercial Crew Development (CCDev2) initiative. The two Washington companies are Blue Origin, an aerospace company backed by Amazon founder & CEO Jeff Bezos, and the Boeing Co. They will receive $22 million and $92.3 million, respectively.

As NASA winds down its space shuttle program, the four companies contractedthe other two are Sierra Nevada Corp. and Space Exploration Technologieswill continue development of commercial rockets and spacecraft capable of
safely flying astronauts into orbit and to the International Space
Station.

The deal recognizes growing competitive pressure from countries such as China, India and Brazil, which are eager to kick-start space programs in order to demonstrate their emergence in the global economy.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden reflected this concern over foreign competition in a statement: “We’re committed to safely transporting U.S. astronauts on American-made spacecraft and ending the outsourcing of this work to foreign governments. These agreements are significant milestones in NASA’s plans to take advantage of American ingenuity to get to low-Earth orbit, so we can concentrate our resources on deep-space exploration.”

For the project, Boeing is developing the CST-100, set to launch in 2015 and carry a broad range of clientele, including millionaire space tourists and NASA officials. Work will occur in Florida, Texas, California and Alabama.

Kent-based Blue Origin, which so far has maintained a secretive operation, received $3.7 million in stimulus funding from NASA last year for its New Shepard rocket-propelled vehicle. It has a launch site in West Texas.