Author Topic: COTS Award Announcement Thread (Read 77936 times)

Chris Bergin · « **on:** 02/19/2008 03:51 pm »

Announcement at 4pm Eastern on NASA Audio:

http://www.nasa.gov/news/media/newsaudio/index.html

It will be interesting.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #1 on:** 02/19/2008 05:00 pm »

*Whistles*

Note: Boeing submitted a proposal bid in November 2007 for NASA's
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement to
demonstrate the capabilities needed for a reliable and affordable
commercial delivery service to the International Space Station. NASA
will annnounce today (Tuesday, Feb. 19) at 3 p.m. CST the company it has
selected to execute the agreement, which will pave the way for a
commercial space transportation service for government and private
sector companies.
If selected today by NASA for the COTS agreement, Boeing will hold a
media briefing today (Tuesday, Feb. 19) at 4 p.m. CST via teleconference
to answer reporters' questions about its proposal bid and provide photos
of its spacecraft concepts. Houston and Florida are among the possible
sites Boeing would consider for design and manufacturing work.

Bruce H · « **Reply #2 on:** 02/19/2008 05:46 pm »

Wow, well if Boeing get it then it'll be their CEV bid. That'll shake some things up.

But one of Orbital and Spacehab will miss out?

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #3 on:** 02/19/2008 05:49 pm »

IF Boeing get in, I don't think it will be plus one more on the downselect. Could be three or four winners today.

Namechange User · « **Reply #4 on:** 02/19/2008 06:03 pm »

Quote

Bruce H - 19/2/2008 12:46 PM

Wow, well if Boeing get it then it'll be their CEV bid. That'll shake some things up.

But one of Orbital and Spacehab will miss out?

It is....similar

daj24 · « **Reply #5 on:** 02/19/2008 06:30 pm »

I do not think a selection of Boeing will be a positive thing IMO. Boeing = expensive. My (possibly naive) impression of COTS was for a "New Space" company to get some funding for new ideas and, hopefully lowered costs. Obviously Boeing has the experience and expertise to accomplish the COTS requirements. However I think that they are the Old Guard and old ideas/methods, i.e. expensive. Time will tell!

Namechange User · « **Reply #6 on:** 02/19/2008 06:40 pm »

Quote

daj24 - 19/2/2008 1:30 PM

I do not think a selection of Boeing will be a positive thing IMO. Boeing = expensive. My (possibly naive) impression of COTS was for a "New Space" company to get some funding for new ideas and, hopefully lowered costs. Obviously Boeing has the experience and expertise to accomplish the COTS requirements. However I think that they are the Old Guard and old ideas/methods, i.e. expensive. Time will tell!

You are right about it being naive....

josh_simonson · « **Reply #7 on:** 02/19/2008 07:10 pm »

I suspect there will only be one, there is less time available now and that means a more expensive accelerated program, and also very likely an existing LV, which is also quite expensive if multiple tests are to be carried out.

Namechange User · « **Reply #8 on:** 02/19/2008 07:15 pm »

Quote

josh_simonson - 19/2/2008 2:10 PM

I suspect there will only be one, there is less time available now and that means a more expensive accelerated program, and also very likely an existing LV, which is also quite expensive if multiple tests are to be carried out.

Time available for what? COTS 1 is not meant for any servicing of ISS but just to help in industry building. The money that is being spent is to just help supplement the costs and not necissarily cover ALL the costs.

AntiKev · « **Reply #9 on:** 02/19/2008 07:57 pm »

Is there a non-RealPlayer link to the audio stream?

EDIT: Nevermind, VLC plays it.

abehnam · « **Reply #10 on:** 02/19/2008 07:59 pm »

I couldn't find one so I just downloaded Realplayer quickly, it only takes a minute or two.

NotGncDude · « **Reply #11 on:** 02/19/2008 08:00 pm »

I'm hoping one of you guys posts the result here quickly

Mark Max Q · « **Reply #12 on:** 02/19/2008 08:04 pm »

Link doesn't even work for me, so will have to wait till someone posts it.

stockman · « **Reply #13 on:** 02/19/2008 08:06 pm »

13 companies competed.

and the winner is: Orbital!

Nate_Trost · « **Reply #14 on:** 02/19/2008 08:06 pm »

Orbital wins.

AntiKev · « **Reply #15 on:** 02/19/2008 08:06 pm »

Orbital.

edkyle99 · « **Reply #16 on:** 02/19/2008 08:08 pm »

Doug Cook said that the winner (Orbital Sciences) had the best, sustainable business case.

Congrats to OSC. Go Taurus II!

- Ed Kyle

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #17 on:** 02/19/2008 08:09 pm »

Nice one Antonio

Just the one...that's surprising. Boeing really are a shock in the respect of not getting in. Lots of noises were coming out of Boeingland of late.

edkyle99 · « **Reply #18 on:** 02/19/2008 08:11 pm »

Alenia Space is teamed with OSC for the COTS Visiting Vehicle (CVV), which will use an MPLM derivative for the pressurized cargo missions.

OSC proposes a derivative of the Express Logistics Carrier (Goddard, developed by OSC) for unpressurized cargo.

Demo flight by end of 2010.

- Ed Kyle

Namechange User · « **Reply #19 on:** 02/19/2008 08:12 pm »

It doesn't surprise me really only one. If this money is really for industry building, then you're going to award it to companies who have a good shot at it but can't secure their own funding.