SFS News: t/Space enters COTS second round

RESTON, VA – (t/Space) -- Transformational Space Corp. has entered the second-round competition for NASA funding for innovative Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo transportation services.

NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program is offering $175 million to companies developing systems to take people and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) after the Space Shuttle is retired in 2010. The space agency plans to announce one or more winners in February 2008.

"We will be able to provide cargo and crew service to ISS immediately after the Shuttle is retired, with a spacecraft design that makes the most efficient use of available launch vehicles," said CEO Charles Duelfer.

t/Space was one of six finalists in last year's COTS competition. After NASA selected two competitors for funding, t/Space signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement with NASA in February. This agreement enabled t/Space to share in the ISS program and technical data NASA has been supplying to the funded participants, and to keep the space agency informed about its progress.

In addition to COTS development funding, NASA plans to begin awarding service contracts next year for ISS resupply flights.

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Let's hope that get their chance. I keep my fingers crossed for them.

Wow, if t/Space does succeed it could potentially be a historic event in terms of the space business being truly opened up to private industry. Go t/Space go!

That's positive news. It would have been a pity if they wouldn't enter since they were one of six finalists.

It will be interesting to see what's going on and what will be the results.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

It will be interesting to see whether the T-Space proposal is the same as before or whether it has been modified because of work done by them since their last bid.

I think NASA will be looking for value added since their last submission. I dont think that one of the losing finalists submitting exactly the same program would win a new competition especially since they will be up against new teams like the recently announced SpaceHab/Lockheed one.

http://spacefellowship.com/News/?p=3829

It would be interesting also which rank t/Space and the other loosing finalists achieved in the 2006-competition.

Regarding t/Space I still think that the progress of the QuickReach may be of meaning - it seems to be a steady progress.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

PLANETSPACE, Lockheed Martin and ATK formed a bid team as well

http://spacefellowship.com/News/?p=3778

That's atarting to look suspicious - Lockheed Martin involved in three teams? 1. Launcher of DreamChaser, 2. launcher of SpaceHab's vehicle and 3. launcher of PLANETSPACE's vehicle?

Might be they are trying to secure their business and market share. This might mean that COTS is missing one rule - a rule saying that one company mustn't be a part of more than one team. This in particular if it is an established large or huge aerospace company like Lockheed, Boeing or perhaps even Northrop Grumman.

The teams involving Lockheed Martin might result in hard to esacpe dependency of that trust. This can't be what NASA is aiming at...



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

Lockheed wants to sell Atlas to as many people as possible, although there may be conflicts of interest with Lockheed not giving everyone the same deal making a particular team more attractive.



I dont think it wise to exclude any company, large aerospace companies will probably exclude themselves on price (less attractive to NASA if they are proposing a launch system costing over $100m per launch). If they propose a cheaper option then why not let them join in as well?

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Lockheed will partner with anybody who is willing to pay cash!
They will even let you call them "team mates" or 'chum's'.

Cost per launch is just one issue. Biggest issue is inlfuence inside NASA, long relationship and other things. Since NASA hasn't yet went into business with these private companies, it's a big risk for them since they will go into the unkown. New people, new company, other technology. Sounds stupid, but it is a thoughtprocess stubbern people (like at NASA) have.


But let's hope for the best and see what's coming. But if it is going to be lockheed (or any venture lockheed is participating in), not much is going to change.

Hello, Andy Hill,

There may a misunderstanding. I wasn't out on excluding Lockheed Martin from the COTS competition but on a rule that would say that they - or any other company - can be part of one team only. The only reasónable exception might be if they offer the launch service to each team competing for COTS and thus being no competitor themselves. This would be a role similar to SpaceX in the Google Lunar XPRIZE where SpaceX up to now is no competitor but offers service to all competitors at the same conditions.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)