The CCiCAP Award (PRE- and Post-AWARD DISCUSSION) Thread

[kirghizstan]

James Dean ‏@flatoday_jdean
NASA's "CCiCap" awards go to...Boeing ($460 million), SpaceX ($440 million), Sierra Nevada Corp. ($212.5 million).

[Jim]

Once we officially know, can anyone in the loop say if the announced winners were always the winners, or did politics force a change over the course of the last two weeks?

no

[Chris Bergin]

Once we officially know, can anyone in the loop say if the announced winners were always the winners, or did politics force a change over the course of the last two weeks?

no

Great post Jim.

To expanded, we're unlikely to know such a thing, for obvious reasons. Although it appears a pretty solid (no pun intended) decision.

[wolfpack]

no

Shall I take that to mean "you can't say"?

[kirghizstan]

Although it appears a pretty solid (no pun intended) decision.

^^^^
#COTD

[Jim]

no

Shall I take that to mean "you can't say"?

Nobody can say

[wolfpack]

Nobody can say

Got it. Wait for the history books, then.

[QuantumG]

"We have selected three companies that will help keep us on track to end the outsourcing of human spaceflight and create high-paying jobs in Florida and elsewhere across the country." - Charlie Bolden, NASA Administrator..

Someone wanna explain to him the difference between offshoring and outsourcing?

I've heard people complain that Bolden just reads what Obama writes for him, but that's ridiculous!

[SolSystem]

Commercial Crew Program Funding: Boeing $460 million, SpaceX $440M, Sierra Nevada $212.5M

[Chris Bergin]

Anyone fancy creating a nice three vehicle graphic around the 1300 (long) x550 (high) aspect ratio?

[Lee Jay]

Is the difference between a full-award and a half award the difference between a test flight to orbit and no test flight to orbit?

[yg1968]

Is the difference between a full-award and a half award the difference between a test flight to orbit and no test flight to orbit?

No the test flights are likely to be part of the CCiCcap optional milestones period. So they are not part of the $1B that is  being awarded today. 

[Drkskywxlt]

"If you total all the billions that have been spent into my system before I started, it's probably approaching $10 billion. So I've got a huge head start."

That's one screwed up metric for evaluating a "head start".

But but but...Jay Barbaree said Liberty was developed without a dime of government money!

[vt_hokie]

So, now that the numbers are official, is "half" funding for DreamChaser enough to keep the dream alive?

[Go4TLI]

So, now that the numbers are official, is "half" funding for DreamChaser enough to keep the dream alive?

Of course.  They would not enter into it if otherwise.

[Lee Jay]

So, now that the numbers are official, is "half" funding for DreamChaser enough to keep the dream alive?

I'm not quite sure I understand this process - if this is just a selection or if it's announcing a full contract award.  If the contract is awarded, then SNC accepted the award and signed the contract, thus they intend to do the work.  I'm unclear how a partial award will affect which work gets done.  If it all gets done, this would seem to me to mean SNC has to fund the other half themselves.  If not, what is not going to get done versus what would have been done had they received a full award?

[yg1968]

Commercial Crew Program Funding: Boeing $460 million, SpaceX $440M, Sierra Nevada $212.5M

I didn't say anything but I had trouble believing the rumor from last night that SpaceX had gotten the half award. If the priority objective of the commercial crew program is quick access to the ISS, giving a full award to SpaceX makes more sense than giving them a half award. 

[strangequark]

Anyone fancy creating a nice three vehicle graphic around the 1300 (long) x550 (high) aspect ratio?

[Rocket Science]

Commercial Crew Program Funding: Boeing $460 million, SpaceX $440M, Sierra Nevada $212.5M

I didn't say anything but I had trouble believing the rumor from last night that SpaceX had gotten the half award. If the priority objective of the commercial crew program is quick access to the ISS, giving a full award to SpaceX makes more sense than giving them a half award. 

I still think its fine with ULA going forward to man rate Atlas V…

[yg1968]

So, now that the numbers are official, is "half" funding for DreamChaser enough to keep the dream alive?

I'm not quite sure I understand this process - if this is just a selection or if it's announcing a full contract award.  If the contract is awarded, then SNC accepted the award and signed the contract, thus they intend to do the work.  I'm unclear how a partial award will affect which work gets done.  If it all gets done, this would seem to me to mean SNC has to fund the other half themselves.  If not, what is not going to get done versus what would have been done had they received a full award?

I am guessing that two contracts (a full award and a partial award contract) were pre-signed by each company and the only signature missing on these contracts was NASA's signature. NASA probably signed the documents this morning (or yesterday). Obviously, it's not a contract until both parties sign the agreements. So the agreements that were not signed by NASA get discarded.