After three years without a space vehicle to take astronauts into orbit, NASA Tuesday announced a US$6.8 billion deal with Boeing and SpaceX to build an Apollo-style spacecraft.

Boeing and SpaceX are A-OK for building, testing and flying space taxis shaped like gumdrops to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station in three years.

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Charles Bolden, NASA administrator, said the U.S. was one giant leap closer to sending Americans into space again on U.S. spacecraft.

When NASA got out of the spacecraft business with the retirement of the remaining Space Shuttles in 2011, U.S. astronauts were forced to hitch rides on Russian spacecraft. Not only were the trips a blow to American pride, they cost a bundle, too. Each ride cost US$70 million with total costs approaching US$1 billion.

Bolden said the greatest nation on Earth shouldn't have to rely on other nations to get to space.

Boeing will get US$4.2 billion to build the commercial crew CST-100 capsule. SpaceX will get US$2.6 billion to build its own Dragon capsule to transport crews. Funding comes from the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability program budget.

Boeing has yet to produce a CST-100 ship. Officials said funding will allow the company to continue production. The capsules will ride on Atlas 5 rockets being made by Boeing in conjunction with Lockheed Martin.

Each gumdrop shaped capsule will hold up to seven astronauts. It's designed for Apollo-like journeys back through the atmosphere toward watery ocean touchdowns.

Left out of the mix was Sierra Nevada Corporation. The company received US$300 million from NASA previously for development of a mini-shuttle called the Dream Chaser.

Company officials said they were disappointed not to be included in the new funding and project.

TagsNASA, SpaceX, space exploration, International Space Station, charles bolden, Lockheed Martin, apollo, Mars, moon