Today, NASA selected SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft to fly American astronauts to the International Space Station under the Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX is deeply honored by the trust NASA has placed in us, and we welcome today’s decision and the mission it advances with gratitude and seriousness of purpose. Under the $2.6 billion contract, SpaceX will launch the Crew Dragon spacecraft atop the Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Commercial crew demo missions manifested for Dragon 2 and CST-100
Mission planners at NASA have installed four Commercial Crew demonstration missions into the International Space Station (ISS) manifest. Both SpaceX’s Dragon 2 (V2) and Boeing’s CST-100 will conduct uncrewed and crewed qualification missions – beginning as early as December, 2016 – prior to the awarding of the US Crew Vehicle -1 (USCV-1) mission for NASA.Personally, I would be in favor of using BOTH SpaceX and Boeing (assuming both demonstrate comparable mission-worthiness). It's good to have at least two vendors, in case one has issues.
Too bad that Sierra Nevada Corp wasn’t in bed with NASA like Boeing and Elon Musk/Space X. Splash down in the ocean like in the 60’s or land on a runway. Runway would have been my choice. Same for some former astronaut buddies of mine.
Don’t forget OrbSci...