Besides cost savings, what factor is crucial in cementing NASA's reliance on SpaceX for critical missions?
Answer
Proven success in flight and demonstrated operational performance builds the necessary trust in system reliability.
NASA requires certified and reliable systems for crewed missions; SpaceX cemented its reliance by consistently demonstrating capability through numerous successful deliveries of supplies and astronauts.

#Videos
How The U.S. Became So Dependent On SpaceX - YouTube
Related Questions
Why did NASA pivot strategically to rely heavily on private entities for access to orbit?What is the core difference between NASA's historical management model and the subsequent commercial approach?How does the commercial contracting model affect the distribution of financial risk compared to prior government programs?What fundamental aspect of SpaceX's hardware has most significantly reshaped the economics of accessing space?What analogy is used to simplify the change in NASA's purchasing strategy for transportation?Besides cost savings, what factor is crucial in cementing NASA's reliance on SpaceX for critical missions?How did SpaceX compare to Boeing during the early development phases of the Commercial Crew Program vehicles?What primary risk arises from placing the main capability for human spaceflight access in one commercial operator?What was the fundamental rationale behind NASA's original Commercial Crew Program goal of contracting two independent providers?What does NASA need to cultivate internally to manage the shift toward reliance on private sector advancements like Starship?