Following adjustments for launch vehicles and COTS funding, what was suggested as the *true* disparity between the two contractors?
Answer
Closer to $200 million.
While the headline contract values showed a $1.7 billion difference (as $4.3B - $2.6B = $1.7B), analyses suggested that when accounting for external financial factors—specifically the launch vehicle cost differences and the fact that SpaceX already received significant prior NASA funding via the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program—the actual disparity in development and integration costs between the two contractors was much narrower, estimated to be closer to $200 million.
Related Questions
What was the initial per-seat cost estimate for a SpaceX Crew Dragon trip to the ISS based on OIG reports?How much more expensive was Boeing’s Starliner seat estimated to be than SpaceX’s Crew Dragon initially?What was the approximate historical per-seat cost NASA paid Russia for a Soyuz ride in 2018?What was the implied per-seat cost for SpaceX after adding $900 million for three additional missions?What justification did Boeing offer for Starliner's higher cost estimate compared to Crew Dragon?What component contributed significantly to the initial billion-dollar disparity in CCtCap awards between Boeing and SpaceX?Following adjustments for launch vehicles and COTS funding, what was suggested as the *true* disparity between the two contractors?How does flying four crew members and significant cargo affect the calculation of SpaceX's effective crew seat cost?What was the expectation for the maximum number of uses per previously flown Crew Dragon capsule?By how much did the reported $86 million per Soyuz seat cost approach when adjusted for inflation to more recent years?What benefit did the dual-provider strategy offer NASA when Boeing experienced significant technical delays?