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NASA modified its Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract with SpaceX on 18 September 2026 by $946 million, adding three crewed Dragon flights to the International Space Station.
The added missions are Crew-15, Crew-16 and Crew-17, taking SpaceX's operational missions under the contract to 17.
The total value of the SpaceX CCtCap contract rises to about $5.92 billion, with the period of performance running through 2030.
SpaceX handles ground processing, launch, in-orbit operations, crew return and capsule recovery, and provides lifeboat capability while Dragon is docked at the station.
Boeing's Starliner is the programme's second provider, with crewed ISS flights expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027.
United States civil space agency; runs the Commercial Crew Programme, which buys astronaut transport to the ISS from private providers rather than operating its own crew vehicle
Operator of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Falcon 9 launch vehicle; its Demo-2 flight in May 2020 was the first crewed orbital launch from American soil since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011
The programme's second commercial crew provider, with the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft; its 2024 crewed test flight faced technical problems
The first International Space Station module, Zarya, is launched; the station has been continuously crewed since November 2000.
SpaceX's Demo-2 carries NASA astronauts to the ISS, the first crewed orbital flight from US soil since 2011.
Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla reaches the ISS aboard a Crew Dragon on the Axiom-4 mission.
NASA issues a notice of intent to procure additional commercial crew missions.
NASA adds Crew-15, Crew-16 and Crew-17 through a $946 million modification, taking the contract to about $5.92 billion.
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Commercial Crew Transportation Capability - NASA's contract under which private firms fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
The requirement that a docked crew spacecraft be able to evacuate the station's crew at any time during its stay.
The band of orbits up to roughly 2,000 km altitude, where the ISS and most crewed spacecraft operate.