SpaceX no longer needs NASA, analysis says
The gist
SpaceX is fulfilling existing NASA contracts but signing few large new spaceflight deals, an Ars Technica analysis says.
NASA has awarded SpaceX about $20 billion over two decades.
How it unfolded
- 2006NASA awarded SpaceX $278 million to develop a cargo delivery spacecraft for the International Space Station.
- December 2008NASA awarded SpaceX $1.6 billion for a dozen Dragon cargo flights to the space station; Musk and Shotwell have said this award probably saved SpaceX from bankruptcy.
- 2014Musk and Shotwell filed a lawsuit against the US Air Force for the right to bid for national security launch contracts.