American aerospace giant Boeing seems set to win a multibillion-dollar contract to build space taxis for NASA that will ferry astronauts to and from orbit.
The Wall Street Journal quoted US government and aerospace-industry officials as saying that Boeing may well be the winner of the competition to build the spacecraft, potentially beating its two rivals, including SpaceX.
SpaceX had been considered a favourite because of its lower costs and nimbler approach, the report said.
According to the officials, recent signals from the Obama administration indicate that NASA's leadership has concluded on a preliminary basis that Boeing's proposed capsule offers the least risky option, as well as the one most likely to be ready to transport crews to the International Space Station (ISS) within three years.
The officials cautioned that a last-minute shift by NASA chief Charles Bolden, who must vet the decision, could change the result of the closely watched competition.
However, interviews with numerous space experts from industry, government and elsewhere reveal a growing consensus that Boeing is likely to emerge as the big winner to develop and operate the replacement for the space-shuttle fleet, which was retired in 2011.
One of the two other bidders - SpaceX or Sierra Nevada Corp - is expected to obtain a smaller contract as a second source, experts said.
NASA currently relies on Russian rockets and capsules to fly astronauts to and from the space station.
A NASA spokesman declined to comment on the status of the proposals except to say "we anticipate an announcement in September.
