NASA Uses Bait and Switch Tactics To Buy Soyuz Seats

[bananas]

http://nasawatch.com/archives/2017/01/nasa-uses-bait.html

NASA Uses Bait and Switch Tactics To Buy Soyuz Seats
By Keith Cowing on January 17, 2017 4:00 PM. 21 Comments

Procurement of Crew Transportation and Rescue Services From Boeing, NASA

"NASA is considering contracting with The Boeing Company (Boeing) for crew transportation services to and from the International Space Station (ISS) on the Russian Soyuz vehicle. This transportation would be for one crewmember in the Fall of 2017 and one crewmember in the Spring of 2018. NASA is considering purchasing these services from Boeing, without competition, because no other vehicles are currently capable of providing these services in Fall 2017 or Spring 2018. NASA has contracts with two U.S. commercial companies for crew transportation to the ISS. However, these vehicles are still in the developmental stage, and not expected to begin fully operational flights to the ISS until 2019. NASA also is considering an option to acquire crew transportation from Boeing for three crewmembers on the Soyuz in 2019, to ensure the availability of back-up transportation capability in the event the U.S. commercial contractor vehicles are delayed or to augment future ISS operations and research."

"Russia recently announced its plans to decrement the Russian crew count onboard ISS from three to two, beginning in CY 2017. As a result of Russia reducing its crew count by one crewmember, there is now an available Soyuz seat in the 2017-2018 timeframe on each of the two planned spacecraft that would have otherwise had two Russian crew aboard. Of the 24 total Soyuz seats available in 2017-2018, the three seats resulting from the Russian crew decrement are the only available means of transporting additional US crewmembers to ISS during this period."

"An agreement was recently reached between the Boeing Company and S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Public Corporation, Energia ("RSC Energia&quot , who is the manufacturer of the Soyuz spacecraft and has the legal rights to sell the seats and associated services. As a part of this agreement, Energia agreed to provide to Boeing two specifically identified seats on the Soyuz spacecraft for long-duration travel to and from the ISS, one on a flight to occur in the Fall 2017 timeframe and another on a flight to occur in the Spring 2018 timeframe. Additionally, Energia provided Boeing three additional specifically identified seats in the Spring 2019 timeframe on two Soyuz spacecraft. Finally, Boeing and RSC Energia agreed that each of these five seats will include a launch of an individual to and from the ISS, including all services normally provided during launches to ISS. Boeing and RSC Energia have represented that Boeing has the full rights to these seats and can sell them to any third party."

Keith's note: How sneaky. Neither SpaceX or Boeing are going to have their crew services ready in time to replace Soyuz in the near term. So NASA uses Boeing to buy more Soyuz seats. Its not the first time that they have bought Soyuz seats. But NASA omits mention of the word "Soyuz" in the title of the presolicitation notice. No one will notice, right NASA? But wait - there's more - RSC Energia gave Boeing 5 Soyuz seats to settle a business deal gone sour (Sea Launch) - and Boeing can charge NASA whatever whatever they want for these seats. And if CST-100 flights are delayed further and more Soyuz seats are needed then Boeing can sell extra seats to NASA. Boeing makes money from NASA one way - or the other - unless SpaceX gets into space with their crewed Dragon.

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[Nitram]

1. Unless I misunderstand, NASA isn't hiding anything. NASA has been up front...

...about it's reliance on Soyuz until U.S. companies can complete a working vessel. Apparently NASA has been helping fund the development of the Boeing, Sierra Nevada, and Space-X spacecraft to speed up the process. Buying the seats from Boeing, which obtained the seats as compensation for a previous failed deal with RSC Energia, the Russian entity that makes and launches Soyuz rockets and spacecraft, is one way to do that. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and other top agency managers have been arguing for months that without full funding of the commercial-crew request, they will have to delay the planned inauguration of commercial crew flights to the station and continue to pay Russia for seats in the three-seat Soyuz capsules it sends to the station regularly.

“NASA is committed to launching U.S. astronauts aboard domestic spacecraft as soon as possible,” Bolden stated in his blog post. “Full funding of the administration’s fiscal year 2014 budget request is critical to making these domestic capabilities possible by 2017.”

http://aviationweek.com/awin/nasa-pay-russia-424-million-soyuz-seats

RSC Energia...recently settled a $320 million lawsuit with Boeing . Part of Boeing's settlement package includes five Soyuz seats and, according to NASA's recent solicitation, one is scheduled for 2017, another for 2018, and three for 2019.

http://www.businessinsider.in/nasa-may-pay-boeing-as-a-middleman-to-launch-5-astronauts-on-russian-spacecraft/articleshow/56655232.cms

[Blue_Tires]

2. If there's a scandal here, I'm missing it

Yeah, the quid pro quo of the procurement/contracting process can be like watching sausages get made (and not just at NASA), but something like this barely blips on the radar