Boeing and SpaceX won the bid to create NASA's upcoming space taxis. According to officials, the new vehicles will conclude the country's dependence on Russia for transport to the International Space Station. 

Apart from Boeing and Space X, privately owned Sierra Nevada Corp was also considered. However, the U.S space agency noted the tenure and experience of California's Space X and Boeing when it comes to aerospace projects secured them the win. The $6.8-billion contract comprises development, certification and operation of the seven-person capsules. 

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The contract's allocation includes $2.6 Billion for Space X and $4.2 billion to Boeing. Elon Musk, Tesla's top man and technology enterprenuer, runs Space X. 

"SpaceX is deeply honored by the trust NASA has placed in us," Reuters quoted Musk. He is best known for running electric company car company Tesla along with being one of the world's billionaires. "It is a vital step in a journey that will ultimately take us to the stars and make humanity a multi-planet species." Musk added. 

The contracts given see SpaceX and Boeing launching commercial space flights by 2017. According to NASA's Commercial Crew program manager, Kathy Leuders, the awards contain similar requirements for the two companies. 

"The companies proposed the value within which they were able to do the work and the government accepted that," Leuders addressed reporters during a conference call. For some time now, there has been growing tension between Russia and the United States. This made the contracts urgent and inevitable. Russia has been linked to rebel support in eastern Ukraine as well as annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. 

The CST-100 spaceship under Boeing will be launching with Atlas 5 rockets. The rockets are a product of the company and its partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp. SpaceX, on other hand, has been contracted already for $1.3 billion by NASA to transport cargo to the space station. SpaceX will be working on enhancing its Dragon Freighter to cater to astronauts. NASA noted that the awarded contracts cover test flights and operational missions. The companies could be awarded two to six missions in total.

TagsSpaceX, NASA