Contract for private space cargo

[Rick]

The US space agency is investing $170m (£85m) in Orbital Sciences Corporation to help the firm develop a commercial resupply ship for the space station.

The Cygnus spacecraft would take food, water, air, fuel and equipment to the orbiting platform. A demonstration flight is expected in late 2010.

Nasa needs logistics support for the ISS while it produces a successor to the space shuttle.

It plans to hand routine low-Earth operations to the private sector.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7254408.stm