Mission
Space Launch's mission is to develop reusable space infrastructure to clean up space debris,
deploy satellite constellations and provide space access
for efficient global, and galactic transportation.
http://youtu.be/3Ya12I036lg
The Beginning of Commercial Space Tourism
http://www.virgingalactic.com/
Welcome to the World's First Spaceport! Richard Branson Opens $209 Million Terminal
deploy satellite constellations and provide space access
for efficient global, and galactic transportation.
http://youtu.be/3Ya12I036lg
The Beginning of Commercial Space Tourism
http://www.virgingalactic.com/
Welcome to the World's First Spaceport! Richard Branson Opens $209 Million Terminal
The First Sub-Orbital Commercial Manned Space Craft
Scaled Composite Design
Space Tourism: The First Commercial Infrastructure
Mail (U.K.)
At first this story may not seem a trend, just an event. But think: Richard Branson has made himself a multi-billionaire by correctly assessing markets and positioning himself to be the first to take advantage of their emergence. He would not build a space port, and a fleet of space ships for passengers paying $200,000 a pop if he didn't believe the market was there to support such! a venture. And what does one get for $200,000: "The two-and-a-half-hour flights will include about five minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth that until now only astronauts have been able to experience."
From which we may conclude that while about 20 per cent of the American workforce is either out of work, or with only partial work, and millions more feel great financial stress, there are enough multimillionaires and billionaires who can pay six figures for a two and a half hour thrill ride that they will fill Branson's space ship seats, and use his space port.
Can the disparity of wealth be made any clearer?
It is the luxury terminal where wealthy tourists will blast into orbit for $200,000 per return trip.
And Virigin's new space terminal in the New Mexico desert looked suitbaly futuristic as it was unveield yesterday.
The building will house Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, mission control and a preparation area for travellers when flights begin sometime after the end of 2012.
With his usual flair, British billionaire Richard Branson rappelled from a balcony, shook up a big bottle of champagne and took a swig while christening the building.
HOW WILL SPACE TOURISM WORK?
Ticket cost: The starting price for flights is $200,000 with refundable deposits starting from $20,000
Training: Passengers are required to go through a 'Pre-Flight Experience Program', including three days of pre-flight preparating onsite at the spaceport to ensure passengers are physically and mentally fit to fly
Once aboard: SpaceShipTwo will carry six passengers and two pilots. Each passenger gets the same seating position with two large windows - one to the side and one overhead. The space ship is 60ft long with a 90in diameter cabin allowing maximum room for the astronauts to float in zero gravity
Flight path: A climb to 50,000ft before the rocket engine ignites. Passengers become 'astronauts' when they reach the Karman line, the boundary of Earth's atmosphere, at which point SpaceShipTwo separates from its carrier aircraft, White Knight II. The spaceship will make a sub-orbital journey with approximately six minutes of weightlessness, with the entire flight lasting approximately 3.5 hours. The spaceship accelerates to approximately 3,000 mph - or nearly four times the speed of sound
Flight frequency: Initially one per week, eventually to have two flights per day
Branson's Virgin Galactic will stage its commercial space tourism venture from Spaceport America in a remote patch of desert in southern New Mexico.
Branson was joined by Governor Susana Martinez, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and scores of would-be space travellers at the terminal-hangar for the dedication.
It had been nearly a year since Branson was in New Mexico to celebrate the completion of the runway.
'The building is absolutely magnificent,' he said. 'It is literally out of this world, and that's what we were aiming at creating.'
With the spaceport and mothership completed, the company is now finalizing its rocket tests.
'We're ticking the final boxes on the way to space,' Branson said.
He hopes enough powered test flights of Virgin Galactic's sleek spacecraft can be done by the end of 2012 to start commercial suborbital flights from the spaceport soon after.
More than 450 people have purchased tickets to fly with Virgin Galactic. About 150 of them attended the ceremony.
Before getting to enter the hangar, the crowd was treated to a flyover by WhiteKnightTwo, the mothership that one day will help take space tourists on suborbital flights.
The $209 million taxpayer-financed spaceport will be a launch station for people and payloads on the rocket ships being developed for Virgin Galactic.
It was six years ago that Virgin Galactic and New Mexico officials reached an agreement to build the spaceport. Officials said the completion of the terminal and hangar marks another major milestone that brings the dream of rocketing tourists into space closer to reality.
Still, the question many are asking is when the first ships will launch from Spaceport America. It was Branson who once predicted the maiden passenger flight would take off in 2007..
Branson acknowledged the wait in an interview Monday. He and his two children will be among the first to fly, and he said he wants to ensure he can bring them home safely.
'We want to be sure we've really tested the craft through and through before turning it over to the astronauts who bought tickets to go up,' he said. 'If it takes a bit longer, we'll take a little bit longer.'
Commercial service will start up after the company gets a license from the Federal Aviation Administration. NASA has already signed a $4.5million contract with the company for up to three chartered research flights.
Tickets for rides aboard WhiteKnightTwo cost $200,000. The two-and-a-half-hour flights will include about five minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth that until now only astronauts have been able to experience.
Like development of the spacecraft, construction of the 110,152-square-foot (10,233-square-meter) terminal and hangar facility has been complicated. There were delays, building code problems, contractor disputes and costly change orders.
State officials blamed the unprecedented nature of the project as well as its remote location, the lack of infrastructure and the weather.
'This was quite a feat,' she said of the construction, joking with the crowd that she was glad the spacecraft fit in the cavernous hangar.
The building was designed by United Kingdom-based Foster + Partners, along with URS Corp. and New Mexico architects SMPC.
Virgin Galactic and officials with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority are touting the design as green.
It uses geothermal energy; tubes running through the earthen berm surrounding part of the building help cool the interior; and natural ventilation can be used during mild seasons.
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At first this story may not seem a trend, just an event. But think: Richard Branson has made himself a multi-billionaire by correctly assessing markets and positioning himself to be the first to take advantage of their emergence. He would not build a space port, and a fleet of space ships for passengers paying $200,000 a pop if he didn't believe the market was there to support such! a venture. And what does one get for $200,000: "The two-and-a-half-hour flights will include about five minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth that until now only astronauts have been able to experience."
From which we may conclude that while about 20 per cent of the American workforce is either out of work, or with only partial work, and millions more feel great financial stress, there are enough multimillionaires and billionaires who can pay six figures for a two and a half hour thrill ride that they will fill Branson's space ship seats, and use his space port.
Can the disparity of wealth be made any clearer?
It is the luxury terminal where wealthy tourists will blast into orbit for $200,000 per return trip.
And Virigin's new space terminal in the New Mexico desert looked suitbaly futuristic as it was unveield yesterday.
The building will house Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, mission control and a preparation area for travellers when flights begin sometime after the end of 2012.
With his usual flair, British billionaire Richard Branson rappelled from a balcony, shook up a big bottle of champagne and took a swig while christening the building.
HOW WILL SPACE TOURISM WORK?
Ticket cost: The starting price for flights is $200,000 with refundable deposits starting from $20,000
Training: Passengers are required to go through a 'Pre-Flight Experience Program', including three days of pre-flight preparating onsite at the spaceport to ensure passengers are physically and mentally fit to fly
Once aboard: SpaceShipTwo will carry six passengers and two pilots. Each passenger gets the same seating position with two large windows - one to the side and one overhead. The space ship is 60ft long with a 90in diameter cabin allowing maximum room for the astronauts to float in zero gravity
Flight path: A climb to 50,000ft before the rocket engine ignites. Passengers become 'astronauts' when they reach the Karman line, the boundary of Earth's atmosphere, at which point SpaceShipTwo separates from its carrier aircraft, White Knight II. The spaceship will make a sub-orbital journey with approximately six minutes of weightlessness, with the entire flight lasting approximately 3.5 hours. The spaceship accelerates to approximately 3,000 mph - or nearly four times the speed of sound
Flight frequency: Initially one per week, eventually to have two flights per day
Branson's Virgin Galactic will stage its commercial space tourism venture from Spaceport America in a remote patch of desert in southern New Mexico.
Branson was joined by Governor Susana Martinez, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and scores of would-be space travellers at the terminal-hangar for the dedication.
It had been nearly a year since Branson was in New Mexico to celebrate the completion of the runway.
'The building is absolutely magnificent,' he said. 'It is literally out of this world, and that's what we were aiming at creating.'
With the spaceport and mothership completed, the company is now finalizing its rocket tests.
'We're ticking the final boxes on the way to space,' Branson said.
He hopes enough powered test flights of Virgin Galactic's sleek spacecraft can be done by the end of 2012 to start commercial suborbital flights from the spaceport soon after.
More than 450 people have purchased tickets to fly with Virgin Galactic. About 150 of them attended the ceremony.
Before getting to enter the hangar, the crowd was treated to a flyover by WhiteKnightTwo, the mothership that one day will help take space tourists on suborbital flights.
The $209 million taxpayer-financed spaceport will be a launch station for people and payloads on the rocket ships being developed for Virgin Galactic.
It was six years ago that Virgin Galactic and New Mexico officials reached an agreement to build the spaceport. Officials said the completion of the terminal and hangar marks another major milestone that brings the dream of rocketing tourists into space closer to reality.
Still, the question many are asking is when the first ships will launch from Spaceport America. It was Branson who once predicted the maiden passenger flight would take off in 2007..
Branson acknowledged the wait in an interview Monday. He and his two children will be among the first to fly, and he said he wants to ensure he can bring them home safely.
'We want to be sure we've really tested the craft through and through before turning it over to the astronauts who bought tickets to go up,' he said. 'If it takes a bit longer, we'll take a little bit longer.'
Commercial service will start up after the company gets a license from the Federal Aviation Administration. NASA has already signed a $4.5million contract with the company for up to three chartered research flights.
Tickets for rides aboard WhiteKnightTwo cost $200,000. The two-and-a-half-hour flights will include about five minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth that until now only astronauts have been able to experience.
Like development of the spacecraft, construction of the 110,152-square-foot (10,233-square-meter) terminal and hangar facility has been complicated. There were delays, building code problems, contractor disputes and costly change orders.
State officials blamed the unprecedented nature of the project as well as its remote location, the lack of infrastructure and the weather.
'This was quite a feat,' she said of the construction, joking with the crowd that she was glad the spacecraft fit in the cavernous hangar.
The building was designed by United Kingdom-based Foster + Partners, along with URS Corp. and New Mexico architects SMPC.
Virgin Galactic and officials with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority are touting the design as green.
It uses geothermal energy; tubes running through the earthen berm surrounding part of the building help cool the interior; and natural ventilation can be used during mild seasons.
Post Comment »
Blue Origin Design of Seven Passenger Commercial Manned Mission
Based on McDonald Douglas DCX (Boeing)
Reusable Systems
Blue Origin http://www.blueorigin.com/nsresearch.html
Blue OriginBlue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The company was awarded $3.7 million in funding in 2009 by NASA via a Space Act Agreement[1][2] under the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program for development of concepts and technologies to support future human spaceflight operations.[3][4] The company's innovative[peacock term] "pusher" Launch Abort System (LAS) was one of the technologies that was of particular interest to NASA. To date abort systems have been of thetractor variety, which pulls a crew vehicle to safety in case of an emergency.
Initially focused on sub-orbital spaceflight, the company has built and flown a testbed of its New Shepard spacecraft design at their Culberson County, Texas facility. According to company statements, it initially planned on placing the New Shepard in commercial suborbital tourist service in 2010 with flights about once a week.[5] However, the most recently publicized timetable states that Blue Origin will fly unmanned in 2011, and manned in 2012.[6]
Blue OriginBlue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The company was awarded $3.7 million in funding in 2009 by NASA via a Space Act Agreement[1][2] under the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program for development of concepts and technologies to support future human spaceflight operations.[3][4] The company's innovative[peacock term] "pusher" Launch Abort System (LAS) was one of the technologies that was of particular interest to NASA. To date abort systems have been of thetractor variety, which pulls a crew vehicle to safety in case of an emergency.
Initially focused on sub-orbital spaceflight, the company has built and flown a testbed of its New Shepard spacecraft design at their Culberson County, Texas facility. According to company statements, it initially planned on placing the New Shepard in commercial suborbital tourist service in 2010 with flights about once a week.[5] However, the most recently publicized timetable states that Blue Origin will fly unmanned in 2011, and manned in 2012.[6]
Expendable Systems
Space Exploration Technologies, Inc. http://www.spacex.com
SpaceX (officially Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California. It has developed the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9rockets, both of which are built with a goal of becoming reusable launch vehicles. SpaceX is also developing the Dragon spacecraft to be carried to orbit by Falcon 9 launch vehicles, and the Falcon Heavy super-heavy lift launch vehicle.http://www.spacex.com/
SpaceX designs, tests and fabricates the majority of their components in-house, including the Merlin, Kestrel, and Draco rocket engines. In December 2010, SpaceX became the first privately funded company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft (a Dragon).[3]
SpaceX (officially Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California. It has developed the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9rockets, both of which are built with a goal of becoming reusable launch vehicles. SpaceX is also developing the Dragon spacecraft to be carried to orbit by Falcon 9 launch vehicles, and the Falcon Heavy super-heavy lift launch vehicle.http://www.spacex.com/
SpaceX designs, tests and fabricates the majority of their components in-house, including the Merlin, Kestrel, and Draco rocket engines. In December 2010, SpaceX became the first privately funded company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft (a Dragon).[3]
Space X Dragon
Expendable Commercial Manned Mission
Orbital Sciences Expendable Unmanned
Satellite Launch
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Expendable Unmanned
Orbital Sciences http://orbital.comOrbital Sciences Corporation (OSC, though commonly referred to as Orbital) is an American company which specializes in satellite launch and manufacture. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems. Orbital formerly owned ORBIMAGE (now GeoEye) and the Magellan line of GPS receivers, though they are now divested (the latter to Thales). Orbital's NYSE ticker symbol is ORB. It has its headquarters in the Dulles area of unincorporated Loudoun County, Virginia, United States.[2]
Orbital Sciences since inception has built 569 launch vehicles with 82 more to be delivered by 2015. 174 satellites have been built by the company since 1982 with 24 more to be delivered by 2015. Orbital has a 40% share of the interceptor market, 55% share of the small communications satellite market, and a 60% share of the small launch vehicles market. The company is expanding into the medium size launch vehicles and satellites market with the development of the Taurus II rocket and the acquisition of the General DynamicsAdvanced Information System Satellite division[3].[verification needed][4]
Orbital Sciences since inception has built 569 launch vehicles with 82 more to be delivered by 2015. 174 satellites have been built by the company since 1982 with 24 more to be delivered by 2015. Orbital has a 40% share of the interceptor market, 55% share of the small communications satellite market, and a 60% share of the small launch vehicles market. The company is expanding into the medium size launch vehicles and satellites market with the development of the Taurus II rocket and the acquisition of the General DynamicsAdvanced Information System Satellite division[3].[verification needed][4]
