Boeing is hard at work developing a new capsule-based spaceship (CST-100) to fly people to and from the International Space Station. Boeing is developing a new capsule-based spaceship to fly people and supplies to and from the International Space Station. The capsule is funded by the company’s recent $18 million award from NASA to advance the concepts and technology necessary to build a commercial crew space transportation system. It is one of several efforts to fill the void of the retiring shuttles.
The company has also teamed up with Bigelow Aerospace, a Las Vegas-based company that recently joined the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. This company is developing private inflatable space habitats with the goal of launching a commercial space station in 2014. The company has already launched two prototype modules into orbit.