Rather than specifying the design and use of of a particular
space vehicle, NASA has begun a program called the Commercial
Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) in which
the agency will simply hire a launch provider to take
cargo and crews to and from the ISS. How the company
does this is up to it as long as the it fulfills basic
technical and safety requirements. Over twenty companies
in March 2006 put in bids for the COTS contracts. Winners
will be announced in June 2006.
To protect proprietary information, most of the COTS
bidders have not provided any public information about
their proposals. Below, however, are two companies that
have released pictures and general descriptions of their
entries. Other companies who have posted some information
about there bids are listed
here.
|