SpaceShipTwo in powered flight. (Credit: Virgin Galactic)
Virgin Galactic and XCOR have combined to sell 855 tickets for suborbital space rides, according to media reports today.
In an appearance before the Aero Club of Washington, Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said his company has sold 625 reservations worth $125 million in deposits. Meanwhile, Space Expedition Corporation (SXC) has reservations for about 230 flights of XCOR’s Lynx suborbital space plane.
Video Caption: On August 13th, the Falcon 9 test rig (code name Grasshopper) completed a divert test, flying to a 250m altitude with a 100m lateral maneuver before returning to the center of the pad. The test demonstrated the vehicle’s ability to perform more aggressive steering maneuvers than have been attempted in previous flights. Grasshopper is taller than a ten story building, which makes the control problem particularly challenging. Diverts […]
Video Caption: Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) put its Dream Chaser flight vehicle through a series of ground tests at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The 10, 20, 40 and 60 mile per hour range and taxi tow tests along concrete runways are helping the company assess the performance of the winged vehicle’s braking and landing systems. SNC’s ongoing development work supports its funded Space […]
Pomerantz: LauncherOne on schedule to begin initial capability in 2015; announcements in months to come on hardware development. #smallsat — Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) August 13, 2013 Some good news above about Virgin Galactic’s LauncherOne from Vice President Will Pomerantz. Pomerantz on SS2: looking to be in space by the end of this calendar year, begin comm’l service (people & payloads) by mid-2014. #smallsat — Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) August 13, 2013 […]
Dream Chaser undergoing a tow test. (Credit: Sierra Nevada Corporation)
Sparks, Nev., August 13, 2013 (SNC PR) — Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announces the completion of the Dream Chaser® Space System tow testing at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. The ground tow tests were conducted in preparation for the upcoming approach and landing test scheduled for the third quarter 2013.
The tow tests were performed in preparation for pre-negotiated, paid-for-performance milestones with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), which is facilitating U.S. companies’ development of spacecraft and rockets that can launch from American soil.
Washington, D.C. (CSF PR) – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce the addition of three new organizations to its membership: Alaska Aerospace Corporation as an Executive Member; and the Metropolitan State University of Denver and Waypoint 2 Space as Associate Members.
“We are very pleased to have these three new members on board,” stated CSF President, Michael Lopez-Alegria. “Each new member brings unique perspective and expertise to the table, and are engaged in exciting activities within the sector. I look forward to working with each of them.”
WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA is now accepting proposals for the CubeSat Launch Initiative. Proposals must be submitted electronically by 4:30 p.m. EST Nov. 26.
From the submissions, NASA will select the best proposals by Feb. 7. Developers whose proposals are selected may have the opportunity to see their creations launched as an auxiliary payload on a mission between 2014 and 2017. NASA will not provide funding for the development of the small satellites and selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity.
Masterson Industries, LLC, a new breed of materials company, today announced that it has closed an investment from Cottonwood Technology Fund and Pangaea Ventures Fund III LP. This investment will be focused on commercializing Masterson’s Microgravity Enabled Materials technology and quickly bringing its products to market.
By Steven Siceloff
John F. Kennedy Space Center
In previous human spaceflight programs, NASA paid for all aspects of development, testing and operations of human-rated spacecraft. The space agency still plays a sizeable part in spacecraft development through its Commercial Crew Program, but partner companies invest financially as well, and have much more freedom to design and manufacture with their own techniques. NASA’s extensive expertise plays a critical role in numerous areas, including crew safety.
“We want to pay an American company for transportation services and return crew launch capabilities to U.S. soil,” said Ed Mango, NASA Commercial Crew Program manager. “This will only be possible if NASA and its partners continue to make this a joint endeavor.”
