Statement on Inaccurate Reports About Japanese Cargo Services [NASA]

WASHINGTON -- Contrary to news reports, NASA has not officially or unofficially been discussing the purchase of H-II Transfer Vehicles (HTV) -- uninhabited resupply cargo ships for the space station -- from the Japanese Space Agency, or JAXA.

NASA is committed to domestic commercial cargo resupply to the space station and does not plan to procure cargo delivery services from Japan. As part of our original agreements as compensation for common system operating costs NASA has limited cargo capability on the Japanese and European cargo vehicles. NASA has recently issued a request for proposal for the cargo needs of International Space Station beyond those supplied by our current international agreements. NASA has chosen to depend on commercial resupply of cargo delivery to the station.

意訳すると、「NASAはHTV購入の交渉を公式・非公式にかかわらず行っていない。NASAは米国国内の民間企業委託による物資輸送を最優先としている。最近国際協定の枠を越えて輸送の見積もりを出してもらったが、商業輸送を選んだ」という感じでしょうか。　まあ契約した企業を袖に「はい、他とも交渉しています」なんて言えないですしねえ。　民間輸送が遅れ気味なのは事実ですし、2010年に間に合わせるためには保険は必要でしょう。