NASA Orders 12 More Cargo Delivery Missions to ISS

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced that it has ordered 12 additional missions to the International Space Station from two commercial launch service providers. Northrop Grumman and SpaceX were each awarded six missions under Commercial Resupply Services-2 contracts, NASA said Friday.

In a statement, the space agency said that the additional orders will provide resupply services to the station through 2026. It was explained that the contracts will ensure continuous delivery of various cargo to the ISS for the use of NASA and its international partners.

NASA further said that while the maximum potential value of all contracts is $14 billion, the actual amount it will end up paying will depend on the types of missions it will require. The agency added that with its latest procurement of space transport services, a total of 32 missions have been ordered under CRS-2 contracts with 14 missions to Northrop, three missions to Sierra Nevada Corporation and 15 missions to SpaceX.

In 2016, NASA awarded the three American companies CRS-2 contracts to resupply the ISS. Four years later, the agency ordered two additional missions from Northrop and three additional missions from SpaceX beyond the minimum guaranteed.