NASA teams with 4 companies for deep space exploration

[DocM]

Wow....COTS for deep space exploration. Perhaps 2 transportation providers (SpaceX and ULA) for redundancy. This could also tie into an earlier story,

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/02/affordable-habitats-more-buck-rogers-less-money-bigelow/

The documentation envisions a taxi seat to a lunar orbiting BA 330-DS would be offered by SpaceX via a crewed version of Dragon and Falcon Heavy.

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/december/nasa-selects-commercial-space-partners-for-collaborative-partnerships/#.VJnYtsAAA

December 23, 2014

RELEASE 14-341

NASA Selects Commercial Space Partners for Collaborative Partnerships

NASA announced Tuesday the selection of four U.S. companies to collaborate with NASA through unfunded partnerships to develop new space capabilities available to the government and other customers. The partnerships build on the success of NASA's commercial spaceflight initiatives to leverage NASA experience and expertise into new capabilities.

The Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities (CCSC) initiative is designed to advance private sector development of integrated space capabilities through access to NASA

[watkinsx2]

Could this be the backup plan for if SLS falls short of its objectives or perhaps the way for a return to the moon under a NASA flag but using private hardware?

[IsItPluggedIn]

I feel like NASA should be assisting Bigelow Aerospace, from what I have read what they are doing will greatly assist NASA .

[DocM]

Could this be the backup plan for if SLS falls short of its objectives or perhaps the way for a return to the moon under a NASA flag but using private hardware?

More like if SLS gets cancelled for being over priced and late. Most everyone who's honest about it knows there will be one rocket that'll outperform it by a wide margin, SpaceX's BFR (or whatever they'll end up calling it). A monster. It combined with Falcon Heavy and Blue Origin's launcher could mount quite a campaign.

I feel like NASA should be assisting Bigelow Aerospace, from what I have read what they are doing will greatly assist NASA .

They already are with use of NASA centers & labs and 15 years ago sellimg Bigelow key patents and techs. They're also buying the BEAM module and paying for its launch by SpaceX in 2015. It's going to ISS for a 2 year test to prove the tech space worthy, which would also clear it for use in NASA missions including an ISS follow-on station which has already been publicly discussed.