NASA speeds up development of

The US Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) is stepping up the development of a space "taxi" in the agency's commercial spacecraft program, according to Reuters on July 31.

>>>Taxi universe will fly test next year

Since 2010, NASA has joined hands with a number of private companies to develop this new type of transport through a program called Commercial Air Force. It is estimated that NASA will spend about $ 1.5 billion on this space taxi program in May 2014 when the first phase of the Commercial Air Fleet ends.

Design of commercial aircraft Dream Chaser - (Photo: Sierra Nevada Corp)

According to Reuters, President Barack Obama's administration is also proposing to spend $ 821 million on the program in fiscal 2014. Earlier, the US Congress cut US Government requests for program funding. in fiscal year 2012 and 2013.

Currently, NASA is partnering with Boeing, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) to develop commercial spacecraft capable of carrying seven astronauts into space. In addition, NASA cooperated with Sierra Nevada Company in the development of a commercial aircraft called Dream Chaser .

NASA's commercial flight manager Phil McAlister said high competition among private companies cooperating with NASA will help improve the Commercial Flight program.

This initiative aims to reduce the cost of transporting American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) after NASA's shuttle program officially closed. Currently the US has to spend about $ 62 million for Russia on every seat of the country's astronauts if they want to go to ISS.