NASA contracting out space voyages ...

... how's that working out for them, you may ask?

Well ...

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Rocket-bound-for-space-station-explodes-5854450.php

Rocket bound for space station explodes

 Conveniently the article directs the right question to the wrong entity -

"By hiring private companies, NASA hoped to reduce costs, improve efficiency and spur a new commercial space agency, and it has taken a similar approach toward launching its astronauts in the future.

Last month, NASA awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing to take astronauts to the space station beginning as early as 2017.
However, the failure of the Orbital rocket will likely raise questions about whether NASA has done enough to ensure the reliability of the rockets."

Uh no. It's Orbital's rocket, it's their responsibility to ensure their rocket's reliability.