back to article NASA taps commercial partners for near-Earth communications network

NASA is lavishing a combined $278.5m on six US companies for near-Earth space communication services. The cash is for the development and demonstration of services that the agency will use as its existing Tracking Data and Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet is decommissioned. The geostationary TDRS satellites enable communication …

  1. DarkwavePunk

    Kuiper

    I find it amusing that Blue Origin hasn't even made it into orbit, the Ariane 6 isn't finished yet, and the BE-4 engine (Blue Origin again) isn't ready to go for the Vulcan Centaur. Maybe Kuiper will launch on rainbow farting unicorns.

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Re: Kuiper

      Or a broomstick...

      I think the basic idea is "we can't just GIVE it to SpaceX, even though they're the only viable bidder, we have to make it look like some sort of an impartial competition"

      1. zuckzuckgo Silver badge

        Re: Kuiper

        They may have to rely on SpaceX in the near term but over the long term I think they don't want to be reliant on one operator. After all they could go out of business or ownership control could change.

        Who knows, Elon could use Twitter to take SpaceX public through a reverse takeover manoeuvre. Then all space communications could be done by tweet.

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
          Coffee/keyboard

          Re: Kuiper

          "Who knows, Elon could use Twitter to take SpaceX public through a reverse takeover manoeuvre. Then all space communications could be done by tweet."

          See icon!!!! ------------------>

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