WASHINGTON — Dulles-based Orbital ATK Inc. will share a new International Space Station cargo delivery contract worth up to $14 billion with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Nevada-based Sierra Nevada Corp.
It is a new win for Sierra Nevada, which has developed a reusable space shuttle-like vehicle. For Orbital ATK and SpaceX, it is the second win regarding NASA’s cargo delivery contract. Both were awarded the initial delivery contract in 2008.
The new NASA contract covers cargo delivery missions for six years, starting in 2019.
Orbital says it will deliver up to 58,000 pounds of cargo to the space station during its first six missions under the new contract. Those missions are valued at up to $1.5 billion. NASA may award additional missions during the 2021-2024 period of the contract, based on operational needs of the space station.
Orbital has already delivered 16,000 pounds of cargo to the space station during four successful missions since 2013 under the existing contract.
Both Orbital and SpaceX have suffered setbacks in their space station missions: An Orbital Antares rocket carrying cargo exploded just after liftoff in 2014. Last summer, a SpaceX Falcon 9 exploded after launch as well.
