Timeline milestone
NASA backs commercial cargo development
From SpaceX and the New Commercial Space Race: From Falcon 1 to Starship
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Public Private Partnership
NASA backs commercial cargo development
NASA selected SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler for funded demonstrations under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services programme.
COTS used milestone-based public-private agreements rather than a traditional government-owned vehicle programme. NASA funding, expertise and the promise of later cargo contracts gave SpaceX a crucial customer and validation while leaving the company responsible for developing its system.Sources & references 1 source
