NASA Grants SpaceX a $946M Contract for Three Additional ISS Crewed Missions
NASA has awarded SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space exploration company, a contract modification valued at $946 million. This contract is for conducting three more crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The agency confirmed this on September 18, 2026.
The new missions, designated as Crew-15, Crew-16, and Crew-17, will be executed under SpaceX’s existing Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract. This raises the company’s total mission count to 17 and increases the cumulative contract value with NASA to $5.92 billion.
The period of performance extends through 2030. The deal is structured as a firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Under its terms, SpaceX is responsible for the full mission lifecycle. This includes ground processing, launch, on-orbit operations, return, and recovery. Additionally, SpaceX is tasked with cargo transport and serving as a lifeboat while the Dragon vehicle is docked at the station.
The award comes as SpaceX continues to dominate NASA’s human spaceflight program. This is despite setbacks suffered by Boeing’s rival Starliner capsule during its 2024 crewed test flight. SpaceX, which went public in June 2026 in the largest IPO on record, counts government contracts as a cornerstone of its business model. NASA’s Crew-13 launch is expected in October 2026, with Crew-14 slated for spring 2027.
Source: CNBC — September 18, 2026