NASA Doubles Down on SpaceX as Boeing Stalls in the Space Race
NASA has issued a procurement notice to expand its Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract with SpaceX, adding six more post-certification missions to the manifest. This move is a direct response to ongoing certification delays plaguing Boeing's Starliner program, which has forced the space agency to rely more heavily on SpaceX for consistent International Space Station access. NASA plans to initiate the first three of these additional flights immediately. In related development news, SpaceX's Starship program faced a minor hurdle when a hydraulic pin issue forced the postponement of a Starship v3 test launch.