Growing use of private launch contractors

Three launch failures in eight months have raised questions about NASA’s plan to outsource missions to the International Space Station instead of building its own spacecraft
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Apr 2015: Progress 59 freighter, launched by Roscosmos (Russian space agency), tumbles out of control shortly after launch

Launch record: Successful 46 / failures 2 

Launch cost: $96 million

Jun 28, 2015: Falcon 9 rocket, launched by SpaceX, disintegrates 148 seconds after blastoff 18 / 1 $140m

Space Shuttle NASA (1981-2011) 133 / 2 $450m

Oct 2014: Antares rocket, operated by Orbital ATK, explodes during liftoff
4 / 1 $238m

Atlas and Delta ULA (Boeing- Lockheed Martin) 96 / 2 $164-$350m
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Sources: NASA, Orbital ATK, United Launch Alliance, SpaceX       

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