NASA greenlights SpaceX and Boeing to carry crew to ISS in 2017

Crew and cargo resupply missions will be launched from US soil by 2017, with SpaceX and Boeing both sending rival systems into low Earth orbit from now on. "I don't ever want to write another check to Roscosmos after 2017," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at a press conference at the Johnson Space Center, referring to …

[Martin Budden]

Is that 50 Dragon launches as of now, or does it include those already done? Either way it's a lot, and a sign of how far the private sector has come.

Beers for all involved!

[cray74]

The Falcon 9 (all versions) is up to 14 launches. #15 is due in early February and SpaceX is due to hit 20 by mid-June. Assuming the launches stick to schedule, which is rare. But you can't fault SpaceX for dreaming big about its launch schedule:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches

That's a nice rate of near-mass production that'll keep costs down. It'd be wonderful to see it come true.