NASA must develop a contingency plan to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station amid continuing delays by Space X and Boeing in developing spacecraft for the US Commercial Crew Program, the General Accountability Office said in a report on Thursday.

"NASA's ability to process certification data packages for its two contractors continues to create uncertainty about the timing of certification", the report stated. "In addition, the program allowed both contractors to delay submitting evidence that they have met some requirements. This deferral has increased the amount of work remaining for the program prior to certification".

Before any missions can occur, NASA must certify that contractor vehicles are safe for human spaceflight, the report said.

While both SpaceX and Boeing originally planned to be certified in 2017, now neither is expected to be ready until late 2019, at the earliest, according to reports.

NASA has paid Russia for seats on the Soyuz spacecraft since the US space shuttle program was retired in 2011. To prepare for delays in the commercial program, the agency recently extended its deal with Russia through September 2020, the report noted.

The report recommended that NASA develop a contingency plan for uninterrupted access to the space station beyond September 2020.

In 2014, NASA awarded contracts to Boeing and Space X, worth a combined total of up to $6.8 billion, to develop crew transportation systems and conduct initial missions to the orbiting laboratory.

Source: Sputnik News

Related Links
Commercial Crew Program,
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

NASA to open International Space Station to private astronauts
Washington (UPI) Jun 7, 2019
At a press conference on Friday, NASA announced new opportunities for the private sector on the International Space Station and in low-Earth orbit. "We're hear because the International Space Station is now open for business," Stephanie Schierholz, NASA spokesperson, said during opening remarks at the Nasdaq stock exchange. In addition to making the facilities on the International Space Station available to private companies for research, marketing and other potential revenue-generating ... read more