SpaceX, Sierra Nevada, Northrop Grumman Receive ISS Cargo Contract Extensions

NASA announced extensions to Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contracts with SpaceX, Sierra Nevada, and Northrop Grumman. The development will allow the companies to provide cargo transportation services for the International Space Station (ISS) through 2030. 

What’s Included in Contracts Worth $14B

The companies’ original contracts, awarded in 2016, were scheduled to expire at the end of 2026. The three contracts have a combined maximum value of $14 billion, and NASA stated that the extension would not increase the overall value.

According to NASA, the contracts require the companies to handle the delivery, return, and disposal of unpressurized and pressurized cargo, as well as participate in studies, special tasks, and ground support services for end-to-end cargo resupply operations. The agency added that these services support the ongoing presence of humans in orbit.

Other Companies Considered

NASA said that the companies offered the only CRS-2-certified vehicles in the marketplace that could resupply cargo to the ISS. 

The agency evaluated three other companies for a CRS-2 contract in 2023, which were identified by Space News as Gravitics, The Exploration Company, and GEPA Logistics. However, NASA determined that none possessed the required cargo capability.

The End of the ISS

NASA expects to safely operate and fully use the ISS through 2030, after which it intends to transition to commercial platforms in low Earth orbit.