Archive for the ‘Commercial Spaceflight’ Category

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NASA Awards Commercial Crew Certification Contracts

Monday, December 10th, 2012

NASA announced December 10th the next step in its plan to launch American astronauts from U.S. soil, selecting three companies to conduct activities under contracts that will enable future certification of commercial spacecraft as safe to carry humans to the International Space Station.

The Certification Products Contracts (CPC) are the Commercial Crew Program’s first major, fixed-price contracts and will bring space system designs within NASA’s safety and performance expectations for future flights to the orbiting laboratory.

The CPC contractors are:
– The Boeing Co., Houston
– Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) Space Systems, Louisville, Colo.
– Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), Hawthorne, Calif.

Each contract is about $10 million. To read more about what the companies will do under the contracts and what this step means for the future of American human spaceflight, go to http://go.nasa.gov/T2igon.

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The Golden Spike Company Announces Plans for Commercial Human Lunar Landings

Friday, December 7th, 2012

Former NASA Executives Lead the Company

Washington, D.C. (December 6, 2012) – On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 17, the last human exploration of the Moon, Former Apollo Flight Director and NASA Johnson Space Center Director, Gerry Griffin, and planetary scientist and former NASA science chief, Dr. Alan Stern, today unveiled “The Golden Spike Company” – the first company planning to offer routine exploration expeditions to the surface of the Moon.

At the National Press Club announcement, Dr. Stern, Golden Spike’s President and CEO, and Mr. Griffin, chairman of Golden Spike’s board of directors, introduced other members of Golden Spike’s leadership team and detailed the company’s intentions to make complete lunar surface expeditions available by the end of the decade.

“A key element that makes our business achievable and compelling is Golden Spike’s team of nationally and internationally known experts in human and robotic spaceflight, planetary and lunar science, exploration, venture capital formation, and public outreach,” said Dr. Stern. The company’s plan is to maximize use of existing rockets and to market the resulting system to nations, individuals, and corporations with lunar exploration objectives and ambitions. This approach, capitalizing on available rockets and emerging commercial-crew spacecraft, dramatically lowers costs to create a market for human lunar exploration. Golden Spike estimates the cost for a two-person lunar surface mission will start at $1.4 billion. This price point enables human lunar expeditions at similar cost as what some national space programs are already spending on robotic science at the Moon.

Dr. Stern and Mr. Griffin described Golden Spike’s “head start” architecture that has been two years in the making and vetted by teams of experts, including former space shuttle commander Jeffrey Ashby, former Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale, and Peter Banks, a member of the National Academy of Engineering. It has also been accepted for publication in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ (AIAA) Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, a leading aerospace technical journal. [Paper available here: An Architecture for Lunar Return Using Existing Assets.]

Golden Spike has initiated a series of studies with small and large aerospace companies to begin designs for the lunar lander, lunar space suits, and lunar surface experiment packages to be used on Golden Spike missions. The company also announced that it will sponsor an international conference for the scientific community in 2013 on the science that can be done on Golden Spike lunar expeditions.

Golden Spike expects its customers will want to explore the Moon for varying reasons—scientific exploration and discovery, national prestige, commercial development, marketing, entertainment, and even personal achievement. Market studies by the company show the possibility of 15-20 expeditions in the decade following a first landing.

“We could not be able to do this without the many breakthroughs NASA made in inventing Apollo, the Shuttle, the International Space Station, and its recent efforts to foster commercial spaceflight,” said Golden Spike Board chairman Gerry Griffin. “Building on those achievements, The Golden Spike Company is ready to enable a global wave of explorers to the lunar frontier.” “We’re not just about America going back to the Moon; we’re about American industry and American entrepreneurial spirit leading the rest of the world to an exciting era of human lunar exploration,” said Dr. Stern, “It’s the 21st century, we’re here to help countries, companies, and individuals extend their reach in space, and we think we’ll see an enthusiastic customer manifest developing.” Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys (the inspiration for the blockbuster space movie October Sky) and a member of Golden Spike’s extensive advisory board, remarked on the company’s public launch saying: “A reliable pathway to the Moon–‘Earth’s eighth continent’ will open our nearest neighbor in space to extensive new exploration, and also open it to the imagination of people everywhere.”

For more information go to www.goldenspikecompany.com.

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The Return of the Dragon

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

NASA press release about the successful completion of the first commercial resupply mission the the International Space Station:

RELEASE: 12-381

SPACEX DRAGON RETURNS FROM SPACE STATION WITH NASA CARGO

HOUSTON — A Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 2:22 p.m. CDT Sunday a few hundred miles west of Baja California, Mexico. The splashdown successfully ended the first contracted cargo delivery flight
contracted by NASA to resupply the International Space Station.

In the Water
Dragon in the Water after Splashdown
Image Credit: NASA

“With a big splash in the Pacific Ocean today, we are reminded American ingenuity is alive and well and keeping our great nation at the cutting edge of innovation and technology development,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. “Just a little over one year after we retired the Space Shuttle, we have completed the first cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Not with a government owned and operated system, but rather with one built by a private firm — an American company that is creating jobs and helping keep the U.S. the world leader in space as we transition to the next exciting chapter in exploration. Congratulations to SpaceX and the NASA team that supported them and made this historic mission possible.”

The Dragon capsule will be taken by boat to a port near Los Angeles, where it will be prepared for a return journey to SpaceX’s test facility in McGregor, Texas, for processing. Some cargo will be removed at the port in California and returned to NASA within 48 hours. This includes a GLACIER freezer packed with research samples collected in the orbiting laboratory’s unique microgravity environment. These samples will help advance multiple scientific disciplines on Earth and provide critical data on the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body. The remainder of the cargo will be returned to Texas with the capsule.

The ability to return frozen samples is a first for this flight and will be tremendously beneficial to the station’s research community. Not since the space shuttle have NASA and its international partners been able to return considerable amounts of research and samples for
analysis.

The Dragon launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, on Oct. 7. It carried 882 pounds of cargo to the complex, including 260 pounds of crew supplies, 390 pounds of scientific research, 225 pounds of hardware and several pounds of other supplies. This included critical materials to support 166 scientific investigations, of which 63 were new. Returning with the Dragon capsule was 1,673 pounds of cargo, including 163 pounds of crew supplies, 866 pounds of scientific research, and 518 pounds of hardware.

The mission was the first of at least 12 cargo resupply missions to the space station planned by SpaceX through 2016 under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract.

SpaceX is one of two companies that built and tested new cargo spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. Orbital Sciences is the other company participating in COTS. A demonstration flight of Orbital’s Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft to the station is planned in early 2013.

NASA initiatives like COTS and the agency’s Commercial Crew Program are helping develop a robust U.S. commercial space transportation industry with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the space station and low-Earth orbit. In addition to cargo flights, NASA’s commercial space partners are making progress toward a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in the next 5 years.

While NASA works with U.S. industry partners to develop and advance these commercial spaceflight capabilities, the agency also is developing the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket to provide an entirely new capability for human exploration. Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS and Orion will expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration in the solar system.

For more information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For more information about NASA’s commercial space programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial

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Posted in Commercial Spaceflight, International Space Station, NASA | No Comments »

NSS Congratulates SpaceX Team — Commercial Space Is Open for Business

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

The National Space Society (NSS) congratulates Elon Musk and the entire SpaceX team on another successful and historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission, known as Commercial Resupply Services-1 (CRS-1), is the second successful berthing of Dragon at the ISS, but the first time it has done so as part of a series of regular, contracted supply missions.

“SpaceX continues its march to space by achieving yet another historic milestone,” said NSS Executive Director Paul E. Damphousse. “This mission is proving a number of things, not the least of which is the fact that the Space X Falcon/Dragon architecture forms a highly robust system capable of mission success, notwithstanding the challenges faced by all space launches.”

Damphousse added, “The Commercial Cargo and Crew programs have the important near-term goal of providing services to the ISS. But in a more permanent sense, they are also integral parts of NASA’s ongoing efforts to develop systems and a space infrastructure that will make future programs more affordable, more capable, and more exciting, while enabling NASA to push on to the next frontier beyond low-Earth orbit.”

This second safe launching of Falcon and berthing of Dragon emphasizes yet again the practicality and economy of commercial cargo and crew programs, an important step on our path toward becoming a spacefaring civilization. NSS strongly believes and advocates that commercial space transportation is crucial to achieving the Society’s vision of “people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and using the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.”

While we are very excited about SpaceX’s recent successes, NSS maintains that there is still much to be done in order for missions such as CRS-1 to become routine. The Society will continue to call on our nation’s leaders to support NASA, as well as SpaceX’s and other commercial companies’ goals to expand our permanent presence in space.

In the meantime, we look forward to the successful conclusion of CRS-1, which will further demonstrate that the commercial sector is moving forward and that the commercial space marketplace is officially open for business.

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Dragon - “The Ice Cream Truck Has Arrived”

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

At 3:56 AM Pacific Daylight time, Wednesday 10 October, the SpaceX Dragon space craft was successfully grappled by the Canadarm on the International Space Station (ISS). Referring to the fact that Dragon is capable of carrying powered equipment to and from the space station, the space station crew reported that they had captured Dragon and were looking forward to the chocolate-vanilla swirl ice cream in the freezer aboard the space craft.

Sunlight
Dragon Attached to ISS - In The Sunlight Above Earth
Image Credit: NASA TV

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Posted in Commercial Spaceflight, International Space Station, NASA | No Comments »

SpaceX Launches First Official Cargo Resupply Mission to Space Station

Sunday, October 7th, 2012

SpaceX Press Release:

Cape Canaveral, FL — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) successfully launched its Dragon spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on the first official cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The launch went off on schedule at 8:35 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday October 7.

The SpaceX CRS-1 mission marks the first of at least 12 SpaceX missions to the space station under the company’s cargo resupply contract with NASA. On board the Dragon spacecraft are materials to support investigations planned for the station’s Expedition 33 crew, as well as crew supplies and space station hardware.

Dragon – the only space station cargo craft capable of returning a significant amount of supplies back to Earth – will return with scientific materials and space station hardware.

The Falcon 9 rocket, powered by nine Merlin engines, performed nominally during every phase of its approach to orbit, including two stage separations, solar array deployment, and the final push of Dragon into its intended orbit. Dragon will chase the space station before beginning a series of burns that will bring it into close proximity to the station. If all goes well, Dragon will attach to the complex on October 10 and spend over two weeks there before an expected return to Earth on October 28.

“We are right where we need to be at this stage in the mission,” said Elon Musk, CEO and Chief Technical Officer, SpaceX. “We still have a lot of work to do, of course, as we guide Dragon’s approach to the space station. But the launch was an unqualified success.”

The CRS-1 mission follows a historic demonstration flight last May when SpaceX’s Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to attach to the space station, exchange cargo, and return safely to Earth. The flight signaled restoration of American capability to resupply the space station, not possible since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011.

Posted in Commercial Spaceflight, Space Transportation | 4 Comments »

Suborbital Reusable Vehicles: A 10-Year Forecast of Market Demand

Friday, August 10th, 2012

A new 102-page study “Suborbital Reusable Vehicles: A 10-Year Forecast of Market Demand” is now available in the NSS website Space Transportation section as a 10 MB PDF file.

Suborbital reusable vehicles (SRVs) are creating a new spaceflight industry. SRVs are commercially developed reusable space vehicles that may carry humans or cargo. The companies developing these vehicles typically target high flight rates and relatively low costs. SRVs capable of carrying humans are in development and planned for operations in the next few years. SRVs that carry cargo are operational now, with more planned.

This study forecasts 10-year demand for SRVs. The goal of this study is to provide information for government and industry decision makers on the emerging SRV market by analyzing dynamics, trends, and areas of uncertainty in eight distinct markets SRVs could address. This study was jointly funded by the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST) and Space Florida, and conducted by The Tauri Group.

Eleven SRVs are currently in active planning, development, or operation, by six companies. The payload capacity of these SRVs ranges from tens of kilograms to hundreds, with the largest currently planned vehicle capacity at about 700 kilograms. A number of SRVs can carry humans, with current designs for one to six passengers, in addition to one or two crew members in some cases. Some will also launch very small satellites.

The study concludes that demand for suborbital flights is sustained and appears sufficient to support multiple providers. Total baseline demand over 10 years exceeds $600 million in SRV flight revenue, supporting daily flight activity. The baseline reflects predictable demand based on current trends and consumer interest. In the growth scenario, reflecting increased marketing, demonstrated research successes, increasing awareness, and greater consumer uptake, multiple flights per day generate $1.6 billion in revenue over 10 years. In a constrained scenario, where consumer and enterprise spending drop relative to today’s trends, multiple weekly flights generate about $300 million over 10 years. Further potential could be realized through price reductions and unpredictable achievements such as major research discoveries, the identification of new commercial applications, the emergence of global brand value, and new government (especially military) uses for SRVs.

Posted in Commercial Spaceflight, NSS Website Updates, Space Transportation | No Comments »

NSS Congratulates Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) Participants

Monday, August 6th, 2012

The National Space Society (NSS) congratulates Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), The Boeing Company (Boeing), and Sierra Nevada Corporation (Sierra Nevada) on their selection by NASA as Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) participants.

Through its CCiCap initiative, NASA seeks to facilitate American industry’s development of an integrated crew transportation system that includes spacecraft, launch vehicle, ground, and mission systems. Facilitating development of such a capability is intended to provide national economic benefits and support safe, reliable, and cost effective transportation to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

“With recent successes in commercial launches to Low Earth Orbit, including a successful cargo mission to the International Space Station, the United States has entered a new era in access to space,” said NSS Executive Director Paul E. Damphousse. “NSS welcomes this next round of funding, which is designed to expand those capabilities to include crewed access to LEO.”

According to the NASA announcement, the selection of SpaceX, with its Dragon space capsule, Boeing, with its CST-100 capsule, and Sierra Nevada, with its Dream Chaser space plane, will help to foster the development of a diverse portfolio of launch vehicles and spacecraft.

NSS has long championed the advancement of commercial cargo and crew programs, as the development of such capabilities will help to enable robust space operations while providing dramatic reductions in overall costs and the creation of new high-paying jobs for Americans. The CCiCap initiative, and the awarding of funding under this program, is the next phase in the public-private partnerships that are so critical to the future of the United States in space.

Posted in Commercial Spaceflight, NASA, National Space Society, Space Transportation | No Comments »

NASA Announces Next Steps in Effort to Launch Americans from U.S. Soil

Saturday, August 4th, 2012

NASA Friday announced new agreements with three American commercial companies to design and develop the next generation of U.S. human spaceflight capabilities, enabling a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in the next five years. Advances made by these companies under newly signed Space Act Agreements through the agency’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative are intended to ultimately lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers.‬

CCiCap partners are:
– Sierra Nevada Corporation, Louisville, Colo., $212.5 million
– Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), Hawthorne, Calif., $440 million
– The Boeing Company, Houston, $460 million

“Today, we are announcing another critical step toward launching our astronauts from U.S. soil on space systems built by American companies,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “We have selected three companies that will help keep us on track to end the outsourcing of human spaceflight and create high-paying jobs in Florida and elsewhere across the country.”

CCiCap is an initiative of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) and an administration priority. The objective of the CCP is to facilitate the development of a U.S. commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit. After the capability is matured and expected to be available to the government and other customers, NASA could contract to purchase commercial services to meet its station crew transportation needs.

The new CCiCAP agreements follow two previous initiatives by NASA to spur the development of transportation subsystems, and represent the next phase of U.S. commercial human space transportation, in which industry partners develop crew transportation capabilities as fully integrated systems. Between now and May 31, 2014, NASA’s partners will perform tests and mature integrated designs. This would then set the stage for a future activity that will launch crewed orbital demonstration missions to low Earth orbit by the middle of the decade.

“For 50 years American industry has helped NASA push boundaries, enabling us to live, work and learn in the unique environment of microgravity and low Earth orbit,” said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The benefits to humanity from these endeavors are incalculable. We’re counting on the creativity of industry to provide the next generation of transportation to low Earth orbit and expand human presence, making space accessible and open for business.”

While NASA works with U.S. industry partners to develop commercial spaceflight capabilities to low Earth orbit, the agency also is developing the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and the Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket to provide an entirely new capability for human exploration. Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS and Orion MPCV will expand human presence beyond low Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system.

For more information about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, visit: www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Posted in Commercial Spaceflight, NASA, Space Transportation | 1 Comment »

Virgin Galactic Unveils LauncherOne

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

LauncherOne
Virgin Galactic Unveils LauncherOne to Deliver 225 KG Orbit for $10 MIllion
Image Credit: Virgin Galactic

In an announcement today at the Farnborough International Air Show, Virgin Galactic revealed it is partnering with a privately funded satellite launcher to build a two stage air launched rocket capable of placing 225 kilograms into orbit for around $10 Million dollars.

Skybox Imaging announced it has raised $91 million for a high resolution imaging system, which will use LauncherOne.

GeoOptics Inc. is developing a constellation of remote sensing satellites to be orbited by Virgin Galactic.

Spaceflight Inc. and Planetary Resources also plan to use LauncherOne.

Also, Surrey Satellite Technology and Sierra Nevada Space Systems, announced that they would create optimized satellite designs to match LauncherOne’s performance specifications.

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Posted in Asteroid, Commercial Spaceflight, Near Earth Objects | No Comments »

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