NASA gives SpaceX a billion reasons to keep flying Crew Dragon

NASA has extended SpaceX's commercial crew contract by almost $1 billion to fund three additional Crew Dragon missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The $946 million contract modification includes ground operations, launch, in-orbit services, return and recovery, cargo transportation, and lifeboat capabilities while the spacecraft is docked to the ISS.

This brings the total value of SpaceX's Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract to $5.92 billion. NASA has stated that this award does not prevent them from purchasing additional transportation services if required. SpaceX has plans to eventually retire the Dragon and Falcon 9 spacecraft in favor of the larger Starship, assuming it can be made reliable.

NASA intends to retire the ISS around 2030, with the use of a SpaceX-developed vehicle for its controlled deorbit. The contract period runs through 2030, with mission readiness dates scheduled for 2027 and 2028. SpaceX has already delivered multiple crews to the ISS using Crew Dragon, while Boeing's Starliner has only carried two astronauts to the outpost in 2024.

The Starliner, nicknamed a "calamity capsule," faced multiple uncrewed test failures and a problematic 2024 crew flight test. NASA has identified various issues with the Starliner program, faulting both Boeing and the agency. If Crew Dragon is to be the last spacecraft to carry astronauts to or from the ISS, NASA and its partners will need to find alternative means of maintaining crewed access to low Earth orbit and the commercial space stations planned to succeed the ISS.

Despite the billions invested in Starliner, there is no assurance that it will ever enter regular crew rotation service. Crew Dragon's final missions could potentially include the last astronauts to or from the ISS.