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General Discussion => Q&A Section => Topic started by: whitelancer64 on 02/15/2022 12:34 am

Title: SpaceX cost plus contracts
Post by: whitelancer64 on 02/15/2022 12:34 am

How many cost plus contracts has SpaceX been awarded?

Title: Re: SpaceX cost plus contracts
Post by: spacenut on 02/15/2022 02:05 am

I don't think they have been awarded any.  Maybe someone can chime in and let us know.  The first contract with NASA was to supply the ISS.  They used that money to finish development of the F9 and the first supply capsule.  Then they were awarded a contract to launch astronauts to the ISS.  Neither were cost plus.  Then they launch satellites for various companies, countries, the Space Force, NASA, and themselves for Starlink.  These are also on fixed price contracts. 

I just don't think they have any open ended cost plus contracts.  The above were fixed prices in open competition with other companies. 

Title: Re: SpaceX cost plus contracts
Post by: eeergo on 02/15/2022 08:01 am

According to this article (https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-has-always-contracted-companies-like-spacex-2016-4), cost-plus contracts imply the transferral of IP to NASA as the contracting agency. The spirit of the whole "commercial" approach of the last decade or so appears to be on contracting space activities as a service, not as property, so the fixed-price or similar scheme would make sense in this regard.