"CSI is gratified the GAO has confirmed that near-term commercial ISS resupply capabilities, such as CSI's LEO ExpressSM Space Cargo Service, can be used to off-load cargo from Shuttle missions well before 2010," said Charles Miller, CSI's President and CEO.

"We are even more pleased by NASA's agreement with the GAO's conclusions, and by Administrator Griffin's repeated public statements that the space agency will engage commercial providers as early as late summer or early fall 2005. The key to successfully completing ISS while retiring the Shuttle safely by 2010 is to offload as much logistics from the Shuttle as soon as possible."

The GAO determined that NASA's previous assessment was insufficient to support NASA's conclusion that the shuttle was the best option for ISS logistics support missions prior to the proposed retirement of the space shuttle in 2010.

The GAO states that NASA reported that the Alternate Access to Station (AAS) contractors projected it would take 3 to 5 years to develop an alternate launch capability.

"As we have reported to NASA, CSI stands ready to deliver our initial cargo service to ISS, under commercial terms & conditions, within 25 months or less of signing a contract," continued Miller.

"We were ready to deliver cargo to ISS 2 years ago, when former NASA executives decided to cancel the AAS program, and Mike Griffin testified to Congress that Alternate Access to Station was important and should be saved.

CSI completed a system design review in July of 2003 under NASA's AAS program, which included a detailed schedule risk analysis and substantial schedule evidence from similar programs.

CSI's near-term commercial ISS resupply service uses existing launch vehicles and 100% off-the-shelf proven technology to rendezvous & dock with ISS. The LEO ExpressSM system is modeled after the standardized intermodal containers that have taken over 95% of the cargo delivery business on Earth.

"CSI's standardized container allows NASA to pick the launch vehicle of its choice, such as an Atlas V, Delta II or IV, Kistler K1, SpaceX Falcon V, or AirLaunch QuickReach II. CSI enables existing proven LVs, and newer, more affordable LVs as they come on line, to succeed at ISS cargo delivery", stated Tom Moser, CSI's VP for Government Programs and AAS Program Manager.

"Intermodal is also more efficient, delivering more cargo on the same launch vehicle than the old approach. Five years from now, people will ask 'Why did we do this any other way?'

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