NASA has a Dragon dilemma, and there appear to be no good answers

So is SpaceX just being selfish or what?

The short version

• For two decades, largely in service to the International Space Station, NASA has sought to foster an “economy” in low-Earth orbit.
• In April 2024, the space agency explicitly laid out its philosophy: “NASA supports a robust commercial space economy that advances American industry and promotes technological discovery through in-space work and research.
• NASA remains committed to fostering innovation and collaboration within the American space industry.” But just two years later, there are growing questions about the viability of this.

What happened

As the second space race heats up, NASA has become more interested in focusing on the lunar surface, with a robust Moon base. SpaceX has signaled it no longer wants to be in the business of flying astronauts into low-Earth orbit.

Why it matters

Today, the grand plans for a low-Earth orbit economy, at least involving humans, appear to be going sideways.

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.