Tag Archives: Private Spaceflight

Congress, NASA agree to thin out commercial spaceflight partners for ‘space taxi’ program

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Congress, NASA agree to thin out commercial spaceflight partners

Congress has twisted NASA's arm on a new deal for the "Commercial Crew Program," designed to get private spaceflight companies to ferry astronauts into space. Senator Representative Frank Wolf wants NASA to scale back its grants to four companies: SpaceX, Boeing, Blue Origin and Sierra Nevada down to two, while a third gets a retainer in case one of those chosen pair fails. The administration will be examining the financial health and business viability of each company before doling out the cash -- with one of those named above effectively being shut out of the market. Although, we imagine SpaceX did itself no harm at all when it became the first commercial enterprise to get a capsule to the ISS.

Continue reading Congress, NASA agree to thin out commercial spaceflight partners for 'space taxi' program

Congress, NASA agree to thin out commercial spaceflight partners for 'space taxi' program originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: SpaceX’s Dragon due to splash down at 11:44am ET (video)

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PSA: SpaceX's Dragon due to splash down at 11:44am ET

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft successfully departed the International Space Station at 4:07am ET and began its gentle descent into the atmosphere soon after. It's the home straight for the historic private spaceflight company as it concludes its first ever supply mission to the heavens. It's due to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, a few hundred miles off the coast of southern California at 11:44am ET. If you'd like to watch the craft being retrieved from its watery berth then head on past the break, with coverage set to begin from 10:15am ET.

Continue reading PSA: SpaceX's Dragon due to splash down at 11:44am ET (video)

PSA: SpaceX's Dragon due to splash down at 11:44am ET (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SpaceX Countdown Underway, Watch the live Webcast Now [Updates]

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Commercial Space company SpaceX is trying again today to fly a spacecraft to the ISS. The Falcon 9 / Dragon COTS 2 demonstration mission is the first flight of a private company to the ISS. This is...

Space X’s Dragon launch… is go! (update: aborted)

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We're crossing our fingers and toes so hard we can barely type and walk, since it looks like the oft-delayed Dragon launch will take place tomorrow. SpaceX founder Elon Musk confirmed that the company had passed final launch review with NASA and that everything was set for the Falcon 9 to lift off at 4:15AM ET on May 19th. The lift-off will be broadcast live from the official website and is on course to be the first private spaceflight to dock and deliver essential supplies to the International Space Station. For our part? We wish the craft (and the ground crew) all the best and hope it's a perfect flight -- we wanna stay in a space hotel sooner rather than later.

Update (05/19): At around 5:06AM ET, Elon Musk tweeted that the launch had been aborted due to high combustion chamber pressure around Engine 5. It won't be leaving for another couple of days.

Continue reading Space X's Dragon launch... is go! (update: aborted)

Space X's Dragon launch... is go! (update: aborted) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 10:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceElon Musk (Twitter), Elon Musk (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace drum up support for the space hotel of the future

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SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace are teaming up to cross-promote their private aerospace tech. The duo are kicking off a tour in Asia to drum up governmental and business support for the Falcon 9 rocket and BA's BA 330 floating habitat. The latter has 330 cubic meters of space and can support a crew of six for scientific experimentation, or ensuring no-one can ever out-do your bachelor party. More details about the tie up are expected just as soon as Elon Musk's company can get that DragonX to escape the atmosphere.

Continue reading SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace drum up support for the space hotel of the future

SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace drum up support for the space hotel of the future originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace partner for Trips to Private Space Station

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SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace have agreed to conduct a joint marketing effort focused on international customers. The two companies will offer rides on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, using the Falcon...

Planetary Resources reveals plan for prospecting asteroids, creating interstellar gas stations

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Planetary Resources reveals its plan for prospecting asteroids, creating interstellar gas stations

The cat got let out of the bag a little early, but Planetary Resources has now officially announced its existence and mission. We already told you that the venture plans to mine asteroids for profit, and is backed by a bunch of bigwigs from Silicon Valley and Hollywood. But now we know a bit more about the company after watching its announcement webcast and speaking with co-founder Peter Diamandis. Turns out, the company sees itself not only as a business venture, but as an entity that will pave the way for extending human influence throughout the solar system. Read on after the break for more.

Continue reading Planetary Resources reveals plan for prospecting asteroids, creating interstellar gas stations

Planetary Resources reveals plan for prospecting asteroids, creating interstellar gas stations originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SpaceX redefines ‘fashionably late’ as Dragon trip to the ISS is delayed again

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Just a week after NASA signed off on its launch, SpaceX has had to postpone the flight of the Dragon. It's yet another delay to NASA's efforts to supply the International Space Station using private spacecraft and reduce the US's dependence on Soyuz rockets. Taking to Twitter, founder Elon Musk said that the company needed to do more testing on the docking code for the capsule, while spokesperson Kirstin Brost Grantham told Space.com that the company needed more time to test and review the hardware. Pending NASA's approval, it'll begin its journey heavenward on the head of a Falcon 9 between May 3rd and May 7th. Given that the original mission was scheduled for November last year, they'll probably need to check the use-by dates on those space rations.

Update: Elon Musk has confirmed, via Twitter, that Falcon 9 and Dragon will lift off on May 7th and rendezvous with the ISS. So long as "the company" doesn't detour them to some mysterious rock first.

SpaceX redefines 'fashionably late' as Dragon trip to the ISS is delayed again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Cameron-backed Planetary Resources to search the universe for Unobtainium

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Planetary Resources will reportedly announce later today that it's developing and selling low-cost spacecraft to mine asteroids close to the Earth. The space exploration and natural resources venture is led by X-Prize creator Peter Diamandis, Eric Anderson and NASA's former Mars chief, Chris Lewicki -- with cash backing from James Cameron, Eric Schmidt and Larry Page amongst others. Within a decade, the company hopes to kickstart a 21st century gold rush by selling orbiting observation platforms to prospectors with significant rewards -- a 30-meter long asteroid could hold as much as $50 billion worth of platinum at today's prices. The company's own teaser materials promised that the project would add "trillions of dollars" to the world's GDP, which sounds like a film we saw recently.

James Cameron-backed Planetary Resources to search the universe for Unobtainium originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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