アメリカ航空宇宙局（NASA）は、国際宇宙ステーション（ISS）に宇宙飛行士を運ぶ事業を、イーロン・マスク氏がCEOを務める「スペースX」社と、航空大手のボーイング社の宇宙船に委託すると9月16日に発表した。
2011年にスペースシャトルが退役してから、アメリカは有人宇宙飛行をロシアのソユーズ宇宙船に頼ってきた。ウクライナ情勢をめぐってロシアとの関係が悪化したことで、自国の技術で宇宙飛行士を運搬する必要があると判断したようだ。
両社が宇宙船を所有し、ISSまで宇宙飛行士を届けて帰還するまでの運用も行う。委託金額はボーイング向けが約4500億円、スペースＸ向けが約2800億円となっている。両社は試験飛行を経た後、NASAの委託を受けるかたちで2～6回、ISSまでの有人飛行を行う予定だ。
宇宙船を打ち上げるロケットについて、宇宙ニュース専門サイトの「sorae.jp」では次のように報じている。
ボーイング社が開発しているのはCST-100と呼ばれるカプセル型の宇宙船で、打ち上げはロッキード・マーティン社が開発したアトラスVロケットを使用する予定だ。スペースX社が開発しているドラゴンV2もやはりカプセル型の宇宙船で、こちらは自社開発したファルコン9ロケットを使い打ち上げられる。
（ sorae.jp「NASA、民間有人宇宙船の開発にボーイング社とスペースX社を選定」より 2014/09/17）
「ドラゴン宇宙船」画像集
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Unveils The Dragon V2 Space Taxi(01 of05)
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), speaks at the unveiling of the Manned Dragon V2 Space Taxi in Hawthorne, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 29, 2014. The Dragon V2 manned space taxi, an upgraded version of the unmanned spacecraft Dragon, will be capable of sending a mix of cargo and up to seven crew members to the International Space Station. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Unveils The Dragon V2 Space Taxi(02 of05)
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), stands for a photograph at the unveiling of the Manned Dragon V2 Space Taxi in Hawthorne, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 29, 2014. The Dragon V2 manned space taxi, an upgraded version of the unmanned spacecraft Dragon, will be capable of sending a mix of cargo and up to seven crew members to the International Space Station. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Unveils The Dragon V2 Space Taxi(03 of05)
Seats rest inside the Manned Dragon V2 Space Taxi in Hawthorne, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 29, 2014. The Dragon V2 manned space taxi, an upgraded version of the unmanned spacecraft Dragon, will be capable of sending a mix of cargo and up to seven crew members to the International Space Station. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Unveils The Dragon V2 Space Taxi(04 of05)
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), speaks at the unveiling of the Manned Dragon V2 Space Taxi in Hawthorne, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 29, 2014. The Dragon V2 manned space taxi, an upgraded version of the unmanned spacecraft Dragon, will be capable of sending a mix of cargo and up to seven crew members to the International Space Station. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
US-SPACE-SPACEX-DRAGON V2 SPACECRAFT-ELON MUSK(05 of05)
SpaceX\'s new Dragon V2 spacecraft, the companys next generation version of the Dragon ship designed to carry astronauts into space, is seen at a press conference to unveil the space capsule, in Hawthorne, California, May 29, 2014. The private spaceflight companys unmanned Dragon spacecraft has been delivering cargo to the International Space Station three times since 2012. The new Dragon V2 will ferry NASA astronauts to and from the space station. AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ROBYN BECK via Getty Images)
■NASAは「火星旅行」に集中へ
2030年代に火星探査を目指す有人宇宙船「オリオン」をNASAは開発している。民間企業にISSへの輸送を委託することで、NASAは巨額の費用が必要となるオリオン計画に集中したい考えだ。チャールズ・ボールデン長官は、フロリダ州のケネディ宇宙センターで次のように話した。
「オバマ政権は以前から、地球上でもっとも偉大な我が国が、宇宙への輸送手段を他国に頼るべきではないことを明確に打ち出していました。オバマ大統領のリーダーシップ、そしてNASA職員や民間企業のハードワーク、そして議会のサポートのお陰で、アメリカの大地から私たちの宇宙飛行士を送り込むことに一歩近づいています。2017年までに、ロシアへの依存を終了することができそうです。地球の低い軌道の輸送を民間企業に任せることで、NASAは『火星に人間を送る』という野心的なミッションに集中できるようになります」
（NASA「宇宙飛行士をISSに運ぶためNASAはアメリカ企業を選んだ」より 2014/09/16）
【関連記事】
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Spacewalk Photos
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NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Expedition 32 flight engineer, appears to touch the bright sun during the mission’s third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) on Sept. 5, 2012. (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(02 of25)
Astronaut Ed White performed the first American spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965. It lasted 23 minutes. (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(03 of25)
Ed White during his historic spacewalk. (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(04 of25)
Bruce McCandless II ventured farther away from the confines and safety of his ship than any previous astronaut ever has. This space first was made possible by the Manned Manuevering Unit or MMU, a nitrogen jet propelled backpack. After a series of test maneuvers inside and above Challenger\'s payload bay, McCandless went \"free-flying\" to a distance of 320 feet away from the orbiter (1984). (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(05 of25)
Astronaut Bruce McCandless conducts a spacewalk using a jet pack called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) in 1984. He is 320 feet from the orbiter. (credit:NASA)
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Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson, STS-114 mission specialist, anchored to a foot restraint on the International Space Station’s Canadarm2, participates in the mission’s third session of extravehicular activity (2005). (credit:NASA)
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Astronaut Jack Lousma helped install a solar shield on the Skylab space station in 1973. The shield protected part of Skylab from the sun\'s heat. Look closely in Lousma\'s helmet to see a reflection of Earth. (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(08 of25)
Astronauts Richard Hieb, Thomas Akers and Pierre Thuot (left to right) pull a satellite into the space shuttle\'s cargo bay for repairs in 1992. The STS-49 mission was the first time three astronauts went on a spacewalk together. (credit:NASA)
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Astronauts Bernard Harris Jr. (right), and Michael Foale (left) get ready to go on a spacewalk in the airlock of space shuttle Discovery in 1994. Harris was the first African-American to walk in space. (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(10 of25)
Astronaut Carl Meade (left) wears the backpack called SAFER, which could be used to move an astronaut back to the spacecraft after becoming untethered. Astronaut Mark Lee stands connected to the space shuttle robotic arm in 1994. (credit:NASA)
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Spacewalk Photos(12 of25)
Astronauts prepare for spacewalks in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. Here, a crew member prepares to work inside of a Hubble telescope mock-up. (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(13 of25)
Astronaut Scott Parazynski smiles as he peeks into the Destiny Laboratory window on the ISS in 2001. (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(14 of25)
Astronaut John Herrington is suited up and ready to leave the airlock to begin a spacewalk on the ISS in 2002. Herrington was the first Native American to walk in space. (credit:NASA)
Spacewalk Photos(15 of25)
Astronaut Chris Hadfield \"dangles upside down\" in the shadow of the International Space Station in 2003. (credit:NASA)
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Astronaut Joseph Tanner\'s Kevlar tether line is pulled tightly as he moves outside the ISS in 2006. (credit:NASA)
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Astronaut Scott Parazynski moves toward a tear in one of the space station\'s solar array blankets in 2007. He is attached to the end of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, or OBSS. (credit:NASA)
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Expedition 16 flight engineer Daniel Tani smiles while participating in an extravehicular activity outside the ISS in 2008. (credit:NASA)
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Astronaut Rick Linnehan can be seen through a window on space shuttle Endeavour\'s flight deck in 2008. (credit:NASA)
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STS-123 mission specialist Rick Linnehan takes a picture during the mission\'s third spacewalk in 2008. (credit:NASA)
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Astronaut Dave Wolf prepares to enter the airlock on the ISS in 2009. Astronaut Christopher Cassidy\'s feet and backpack are also visible. (credit:NASA)
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Astronaut John Grunsfeld works on the Hubble Space Telescope during space shuttle mission STS-125 in 2009. During the spacewalks, astronauts replaced parts that were no longer working and added new parts. (credit:NASA)
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Astronaut Christopher Cassidy sports a wide variety of tools for his spacewalk outside the ISS in 2009. (credit:NASA)