http://www.space.com/8541-6-private-companies-launch-humans-space.html
I want to go to Space! I have watched Star Trek, Star Wars, Battle Star Gallactica, Deep Space 9, Star Gate, and many other Sci Fi, Space oriented movies and TV shows my whole life. I know that life in space wont be like the movies or TV shows. But, it is still exciting. It's human nature to want to explore the unknown. There are those that fear it. But, there are also the brave few that push back the frontier and expand the limits of our knowlege. I want to go to Space and stay in a space habitat. I would like to visit other Planets. The reality is that will take many boring years of travel based on the tech we have now. But, we can dream of the future possibilities. It starts with getting to space cheaply. Then mastering travel between the Earth and the Moon. And step by step we expand our frontier.
The era of private spaceflight is breaking new ground with the first private company that has launched a spacecraft that has orbited the earth. Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and it's Dragon spaceship was the first private company to orbit the earth.
Now NASA has tapped SpaceX and Orbital Sciences to build unmanned cargo ships to stock up the International Space Station after the Space Shuttle is retired.
A Lockheed Martin designed Orion capsule will be used as a space station lifeboat.
Aerospace juggernaut Boeing is also hoping to compete for commercial crew capabilities.
Bigelow Aerospace is hoping to put some of its inflatable Space Station Habitats on the International Space Station.
There a many new companies working on Spacecrafts to put Americans in space.
Here's a look at some of the companies vying to lead the future of human spaceflight:
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX)
Company: SpaceX
Spaceship Name: Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket
Founder(s): Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal
Backing: $100 million of Musk's personal fortune, $20 million more from outside investors
Location: Hawthorne, California
Launched the Business: 2002
Plans to Launch into Space: Debut launch tests in 2010, first operational flights in 2011.
Number of Passengers: 7 maximum, or fewer with a mixture of cargo and crew
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon spacecraft are initially expected to be unmanned vehicles to serve NASA's cargo needs for the International Space Station. Musk has said Dragon could be ready to launch astronauts within three years of receiving a contract from NASA to do so. The company currently has a $1.6 billion contract to provide 12 unmanned cargo deliveries to the station through 2016. They have already launched the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft. http://andrewliptak.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/the-start-of-something-fantastic-spacex-orbits-the-earth/
On December 8th 2010 the Dragon spacecraft was the first private enterprise spacecraft to launch and orbit the earth twice before returning for a splash down. The Falcon 9 rocket is about 180 feet (57 meters) tall and is a two-stage booster. The Dragon capsule is a solar-powered spacecraft designed to be grappled by the space station's robotic arm and installed on a docking port. With a successfull flight and orbit under their belt Space X is hoping the next flight will be manned and will take astronaughts to the international space station this year, 2011. They have built their Spacecraft on tried and tested tech so it is highly possible that this will happen.
Orbital Sciences
Company: Orbital Sciences
Spaceship Name: Cygnus and Taurus 2 rocket
Founder(s): David W. Thompson, Bruce W. Ferguson, Scott L. Webster
Backing: Publicly traded company, $1.1 billion in revenue
Location: Dulles, Virginia
Launched the Business: 1982
Plans to Launch into Space: 2011
Number of Passengers: So far, the Cygnus is purely unmanned
A veteran hand when it comes to rocket launches, Orbital Sciences has a $1.9 billion contract with NASA to provide eight cargo missions for the International Space Station using its unmanned Cygnus spacecraft and the new Taurus 2 rocket. Orbital is planning the launches in 2011 from Wallops Island in Virginia.
Orbital has not announced plans on whether it may try to convert the Cygnus vehicle for crewed missions. The Taurus 2 rocket stands about 131 feet (40 meters) tall and is a two-stage booster to be topped by the Cygnus spacecraft.
Virgin Galactic LLC (VG), the world's first commercial spaceline, announced on Dec. 15 that it will support Sierra Nevada Space Systems' (SNC) and Orbital Sciences Corp.'s (OSC) work on commercial space vehicles.
http://www.compositesworld.com/news/virgin-to-support-sierra-nevada-orbital-sciences-space-programs
Blue Origin
Company: Blue Origin
Spaceship Name: New Shepard
Founder(s): Jeff Bezos
Backing: His personal fortune as founder of Amazon.com
Location: Kent, Washington
Launched the Business: 2004
Plans to Launch into Space: Mid-2012
Number of Passengers: at least 3 astronauts
Blue Origin has tested a prototype of its New Shepard spacecraft at the company's proving grounds in Texas. New Shepard is expected to be a vertical launch and landing vehicle capable of reaching an altitude of about 75 miles (120 km) .
NASA awarded Blue Origin $3.7 million to develop an astronaut escape system and build a composite space capsule prototype as part of its commercial crew program.
Bigelow Aerospace
Company: Bigelow Aerospace
Spaceship Name: Sundancer and BA-330
Founder(s): Robert Bigelow
Backing: $180 million of his personal fortune as owner of the Budget Suites of America hotel chain.
Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada
Launched the Business: 1999
Plans to Launch into Space: 2015
Number of Passengers: Sundancer to support crews of 3, BA-330 to support 6-person crews
Bigelow Aerospace has been paving new ground in inflatable spacecraft and already launched two mini-space station prototypes, called Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. The company's larger Sundancer and BA-330 vehicles are expected to serve as space stations, not capsules. Additionally, company founder Robert Bigelow has set his sights on developing a private moon base using the inflatable technology.
Since Bigelow Aerospace does not have rockets or spacecraft to reach its space stations, the company has been working closely with Boeing on potential crew capsules.
Boeing received $18 million from NASA this year to support development of its own 7-person spacecraft.
SpaceDev/Sierra Nevada Corp.
Company: SpaceDev
Spaceship Name: Dream Chaser
Founder: Jim Benson (deceased), now led by Fatih Ozmen
Backing: Sierra Nevada Corp., of Sparks, Nev.
Location: Poway, Calif.
Launched the Business: 1997
Plans to Launch into Space: Under Development
Number of passengers: 4 on suborbital flights, up to 6 for orbital flights.
California-based SpaceDev is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corp. (which acquired it in 2008) and has been developing the reusable Dream Chaser space plane to launch crew and cargo into space at an Atlas 5 rocket.
In February, Sierra Nevada won $20 million in NASA funds to continue the Dream Chaser's development. The spacecraft's design is based on the HL-20 lifting body tested by NASA and aims to launch on a rocket and land on a conventional runway, for quick turnaround and reuse.
Virgin Galactic
Company: Virgin Galactic
Spaceship Name: SpaceShipTwo
Founder(s): British Billionaire Sir Richard Branson
Backing: His personal fortune as founder of Virgin Group
Location: London, England, and Spaceport, New Mexico
Launched the Business: 2004
Plans to Launch into Space: end of 2011 or early 2012
Number of Passengers: 6 passengers, 2 pilots
The only air-launched vehicle in the group, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo vehicle is still just a suborbital vehicle designed for space tourism jaunts into space. The company envisions launching paying passengers on suborbital thrill rides for about $200,000 per seat. However, the spacecraft's mother ship the huge WhiteKnightTwo aircraft ? could be modified to launch small rockets or satellites for NASA or other users.
SpaceShipTwo is designed by veteran aerospace engineer Burt Rutan and the company he founded, Scaled Composites of Mojave, Calif. It is a larger version of SpaceShipOne, which successfully flew on suborbital flights in 2004. They will be operating out of Spaceport America in near Truth or Consequences New Mexico. Several stages of test flights have already been accomplished and more then 390 tickets have been presold at $200,000 each. Virgin Galactic, not wanting to waste time, will be working with Orbital Sciences and Sierra Nevada Space Systems' (SNC) to move into orbital flights and commercial ventures.
These are some of the few companies that seem to be in the forefront. We must keep watch. There appears new companies all the time and tech is hidden from the public until the company is ready to unveil it. I am watching and it is exciting!
