Cape Town

Nasa wants the private sector to find ways of bringing down the cost of space travel.

The agency is offering up to $500 million (£260 million) to help companies to fund the development of the next generation of shuttle craft to serve the International Space Station.

They would also be able to carry out experiments at the station.

The shuttles used by Nasa to take crew to and from the International Space Station reach the end of their working lives in 2010. The US may have to rely on Russia for crew transport until replacement vehicles are available.

Michael Griffin, the agency's administrator, who was in South Africa for the launch of a research centre, said: “The cost of space transportation ... is very high. I am hopeful that opening up the space station to more commercial activity will spur the development of enough traffic to and from the station; that commercial space transportation entities may be induced to develop a more accessible, cheaper capability than we have today.” (Reuters)

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