The companies will build and operate so-called ‘pace taxis’ to fly personnel to the International Space Station. It means the end of US dependence on Russia whose Soyuz vehicles replaced the retired space shuttles in 2011.NASA spokesperson Charles F. Bolden jr., “By combining private sector ingenuity with bipartisan national commitment and the unmatched expertise of NASA we are not only better able to stretch the boundaries of the possible, we’re strengthening our economy and creating good jobs for our people.”
That said the multi-billion Dollar contract has also taken on a new urgency since relations between Washington and Moscow have become strained over the crisis in Ukraine.
