New commercial spacecraft entry: a biggie!

[Dr Mordrid]

CCDev = Commercial Crew Development, a NASA joint venture with commercial space outfits.

Players so far: Bigelow Aerospace + Boeing (CST-100 capsule) and Sierra Nevada + Lockheed Martin (Dream Chaser) are the spacecraft. Other players are making life support systems etc.

SpaceX isn't a part because Dragon Cargo is being developed as part of the COTS program.

CCDev round 2 is to start soon, and Dragon Crew has been expected to be a bid, but now a new wrinkle has arose: Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic may make a proposal, possibly in association with Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites and Northrop Grumman.

Branson mentioned it at the ceremonies celebrating the completion of SpacePort America's runway, which is to be SS2's home base.

No word yet on what their proposal will be like, but Rutan did develop a capsule for T-Space that used a shuttlecock-like re-entry system much like the SS1/SS2 spaceplanes use. T-Space didn't get a COTS contract, but he may still have the rights to the tech.

It's also very possible that they'll team up with Bigelow/Boeing, SpaceX or Sierra Nevada/Lockheed Martin.

[Dr Mordrid]

Actual quote from Branson indicates he's looking at two potential partners, but could go it alone. IMO that would be Plan B as it would put them behind the others.

One wonders if they partner with SpaceX if there's a building large enough to house all the egos

"There's about four companies that are seriously looking at it (the NASA commercial crew program)," Branson told Reuters.

He said Virgin Galactic was currently in discussions with two of the companies about teaming up with them and would decide over the next month whether to do so or go it alone.

One way or the other, Branson said, "We plan to be in orbital travel within the next few years."