This article was published by Aerospace Daily earlier this week. We've discussed the topic before. This article just adds some more detail.

Previously referred to as a crew transfer vehicle (CTV), the OSP would come online as a crew return vehicle for the ISS in roughly 2010, according to NASA. Launching atop an expendable rocket such as the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), the OSP would allow the station crew to be increased from the current three to a full complement of six or seven.



NASA is adding $165 million to the OSP program in FY '03, bringing it to a total of $296 million. Preliminary design would be completed by 2005, supported by up to three contractors. The project is estimated to cost $2.405 billion through FY '07, according to the draft justification.

By 2012, the vehicle could be flown on a human-rated EELV, allowing it to ferry crew to the station as well as bring them back (DAILY, Oct. 31). Sometime in the next decade, NASA could decide to launch the OSP atop a new RLV, and possibly phase out EELV launches or shuttle flights to the ISS.