The company's larger Sundancer and BA-330 vehicles are expected to serve as space stations, not capsules. Number of Passengers: Sundancer to support crews of 3, BA-330 to support 6-person crewsīigelow Aerospace has been paving new ground in inflatable spacecraft and already launched two mini-space station prototypes, called Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. Įarlier this year, 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.īacking: $180 million of his personal fortune as owner of the Budget Suites of America hotel chain. New Shepard is expected to be a vertical launch and landing vehicle capable of reaching an altitude of about 75 miles (120 km). Number of Passengers: at least 3 astronautsīlue Origin has remained extremely secretive about its plans, but has tested a prototype of its New Shepard spacecraft at the company's proving grounds in Texas. The Taurus 2 rocket stands about 131 feet (40 meters) tall and is a two-stage booster to be topped by the Cygnus spacecraft.īacking: His personal fortune as founder of Orbital has not announced plans on whether it may try to convert the Cygnus vehicle for crewed missions. Orbital is planning the launches in 2011 from Wallops Island in Virginia. Number of Passengers: So far, the Cygnus is purely unmannedĪ 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. Websterīacking: Publicly traded company, $1.1 billion in revenue Spaceship Name: Cygnus and Taurus 2 rocketįounder(s): David W. 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. The Falcon 9 rocket is about 180 feet (57 meters) tall and is a two-stage booster. The company currently has a $1.6 billion contract to provide 12 unmanned cargo deliveries to the station through 2016. Musk has said Dragon could be ready to launch astronauts within three years of receiving a contract from NASA to do so. 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. Number of Passengers: 7 maximum, or fewer with a mixture of cargo and crew Plans to Launch into Space: Debut launch tests in 2010, first operational flights in 2011. Spaceship Name: Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket|įounder(s): Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPalīacking: $100 million of Musk?s personal fortune, $20 million more from outside investors
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |