NASA Adds $946 Million to SpaceX Contract, Raising Crew Flight Deal to $5.92 Billion Through 2030

Key facts

• NASA awarded SpaceX a $946 million contract for three additional astronaut missions to the International Space Station, raising the total contract value to $5.92 billion and extending crewed flights through 2030.
• The expanded agreement covers 17 total missions, including astronaut transport, supplies delivery, ground preparation, launch operations, in-orbit mission management, crew return, capsule recovery, and emergency escape capability aboard Crew Dragon capsules.
• NASA selected SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to develop crew transport spacecraft after the space shuttle retirement left the United States dependent on Russia's Soyuz; SpaceX was approved for astronaut flights in November 2020 and uses the Crew Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket.
• Boeing's Starliner encountered technical problems on its 2024 crewed test flight, leading NASA to return the capsule empty and bring astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home on a SpaceX Dragon after their planned 10-day mission lasted more than nine months.