SpaceX, Grumman Each Net 6 More Launches, Supporting the ISS Through 2026

NASA has ordered 12 more missions under its Commercial Resupply Services-2 contracts with a combination of Northrop Grumman and SpaceX.

The CRS-2 contract will serve as the primary resupply method to the International Space Station through 2026, giving some peace of mind to those who worried that recent geopolitical developments could possibly have imperiled the station.

The deal will see 12 additional supply flights to the station, 6 for both contractors.

The missions are vital to the continued operation of the station, bringing new living supplies, experiments, parts, equipment, and sundry items while providing a chance to eliminate waste from the station and return samples, data, and bulky supplies too large or heavy to fit in with the returning crew. The contracts are worth, at their potential maximum value, $14 billion. NASA will pay by the mission, however, so the totals paid by the agency will ultimately depend on the operational requirements themselves. 

So far, throughout the life of the Commercial Resupply Program, 32 missions have been ordered, with 15 going to SpaceX, 14 to Northrop Grumman, and 3 to Sierra Space.

FMI: www.NASA.gov