HooRU As well, we really needed an alternate transport for the ISS but it doesn't look like that will happen.
NASA originally had 2 transport providers for the ISS, Space Shuttle and Soyuz. When the Shuttle was retired after the Columbia disaster, they put out a bid to commercial providers. Northrop Grumman Cygnus and SpaceX Dragon (alongside Soyuz) are their current cargo providers. SpaceX, Sierra Space, and Boeing (alongside Soyuz) were supposed to be their crew providers, but Sierra Space and Boeing haven't been successful enough to start regular flights. Still, the ISS has more transport providers now than when it was originally built.
It's doubtful Boeing Starliner will ever complete their 6 contracted crew flights to ISS before ISS is supposed to be deorbited in 2030, even though Boeing was awarded more money than SpaceX received for Commercial Crew development.
Sierra Space also won more commercial crew development money than SpaceX, but hasn't even launched their Dream Chaser yet, although that may happen this year. They've changed their plans to only being an ISS cargo provider, with possible crewed flights to a planned Blue Origin/Sierra Space commercial space station, Orbital Reef, partially funded by NASA;s Commercial LEO Destinations program. Starliner also has a part in the Orbital Reef plan. The Dream Chaser would've launched in 2024, but ULA's Vulcan rocket had issues during its first/last launch and needs another launch to obtain national security certification.
Soyuz is falling apart.
SpaceX has so many fans because they've regularly done much more with less. Their success has changed the space industry and they're not stopping, but space is hard.
