NASA Adds 3 ISS Missions to SpaceX Crew Dragon Contract in $946 Million Deal

NASA adds three ISS missions to its SpaceX Crew Dragon contract in a $946 million deal, extending crew transportation services through 2030.
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NASA has awarded SpaceX a $946 million contract modification covering three additional crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The agreement adds Crew-15, Crew-16 and Crew-17 to the existing Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract, extending SpaceX’s contracted crew transportation services through 2030.

NASA said the latest modification brings the total number of SpaceX missions under its CCtCap contract to 17. The agency announced the expanded agreement on September 18, adding further Crew Dragon flights to support future ISS crew rotations.

$946 Million Contract Covers Multiple Mission Services

The new NASA-SpaceX contract covers more than transporting astronauts to the ISS. NASA said the $946 million agreement includes ground operations, launch services, in-orbit operations, astronaut return and recovery, cargo transportation and Crew Dragon’s lifeboat capability while the spacecraft remains docked at the station.

The agreement uses SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft together with its Falcon 9 launch system. The spacecraft transports astronauts from Earth to the ISS, remains docked during the mission and later returns crew members to Earth for recovery.

Reuters reported that the additional missions increase the overall value of SpaceX’s CCtCap contract to approximately $5.92 billion across 17 contracted flights.

Crew-15, Crew-16 and Crew-17 Join NASA’s ISS Plans

The three newly added ISS missions are designated Crew-15, Crew-16 and Crew-17. NASA’s announcement lists mission readiness dates across 2027 and 2028, while the overall contract period continues through 2030.

The missions will form part of NASA’s continuing crew rotation activities aboard the ISS. Crew Dragon has been used for NASA astronaut transportation since the spacecraft received certification for regular crewed missions in 2020.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program uses commercial spacecraft to provide transportation between Earth and the ISS. According to NASA, Crew Dragon can also remain attached to the station as an emergency vehicle for astronauts during an expedition.

SpaceX Reaches 17 Contracted NASA Crew Missions

The latest contract modification builds on previous agreements between NASA and SpaceX. NASA previously added additional Crew Dragon flights to maintain transportation capacity for ISS operations, with the latest three missions bringing the contracted total to 17.

SpaceNews reported that the new agreement gives NASA additional Crew Dragon capacity as the agency continues planning crew transportation requirements for the remainder of the ISS program.

NASA selected SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to develop commercial crew transportation systems under the Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon subsequently became an operational system for transporting NASA astronauts to and from the space station.

NASA’s Crew Dragon Contract Extends Through 2030

The $946 million agreement adds three more ISS missions to NASA’s SpaceX Crew Dragon contract and extends the company’s contracted transportation services through 2030. Crew-15, Crew-16 and Crew-17 will add to the existing schedule of NASA crew flights while supporting continued astronaut transportation to the International Space Station.