Agency Won't Say Who They Are... But Some Come Forward

Call it "Aerospace Idol"... after reviewing proposals from several companies looking to win NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services contract, the agency Tuesday told participants which companies are moving onto the next round... and who's going home.

"We've selected several companies to have discussions with," James Bailey, NASA's contracting officer for the COTS program, told MSNBC.com. "We've been very pleased with the quality of the proposals we've received."

However, Bailey also said NASA isn't talking publicly yet about which companies were selected for more detailed hearing on their plans to send cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station. In fact, MSNBC said he even refused to elaborate on what the word "several" could mean in his statement.

While Bailey may not be talking, however, the companies themselves are. Representatives with Oklahoma-based Rocketplane Kistler and California's Space Exploration Technologies -- SpaceX -- said they're still in the running.

"We were notified that we will be participating in further negotiations... To me, it's so far, so good," said Rocketplane Kistler's David Urie.

Other sources -- speaking anonymously, to avoid incurring NASA's wrath -- added t/Space, SpaceDev, Spacehab, and Andrews Space to the list, according to MSNBC.

The private space operations participating in the COTS program are competing for the chance to supply the space station -- especially in the time between the space shuttle's retirement in 2010, and NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle comes online one-to-three years later.

As Aero-News reported earlier this year, more than 20 companies submitted proposals in March in the first round of competition for the $500 million contract, to be awarded over five years.

One of the companies rejected by NASA, Texas-based Advent Launch Services, initially told MSNBC they hadn't heard a word from the space agency on their chances -- but changed that minutes later, after receiving a call from a representative with the Johnson Space Center.

"We've been turned down on the COTS thing," said Advent president Jim Akkerman. "Talked with the guy a little bit, mentioned the engine tests we've got going on over at Stennis, and that we'd sure like to get involved with them one way or another, even if it's later on. And he indicated that's a possibility."

Which may mean... just because some may have been thrown out of the competition early, doesn't mean those companies have sung their last song for NASA.

FMI: www.nasa.gov