5 replies to this topic

[Still Waters]

www.bbc.co.uk said:

The first cargo resupply mission to the space station to be carried out by a commercial operator is likely to be on 30 April, the US space agency says.

The flight of the unmanned Dragon freighter is supposed to be just a demonstration, but its success would mark a new era in spaceflight.

Nasa is keen to hand off routine space transportation to the private sector - for both cargo and crew.

The upcoming mission will be performed by the SpaceX company of California.

It has been given tentative clearance to launch Dragon on 30 April at 12:22 EDT (16:22 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Read more...

Edited by Waspie_Dwarf, 22 May 2012 - 01:41 PM.
Added tags

[Still Waters]

Update -

SpaceX delays first private launch to International Space Station

http://www.telegraph...ce-Station.html

[DONTEATUS]

This will be epic ! I cant wait ! NASA will no doubt start to grow again from this venture !

[Waspie_Dwarf]

DONTEATUS, on 01 May 2012 - 08:46 PM, said:

NASA will no doubt start to grow again from this venture !

How?
The very point is that this is NOT a NASA vehicle. Although NASA provided some funds, both this and the Orbital Sciences Corporation Cygnus vehicle (which will make its first test flight later in the year) are privately developed. NASA will be buying services from these companies in the same way that it buys seats on the Soyuz vehicles from the Russians.

Both Space-X and Orbital are US companies and so there is a strong argument that US space exploration can begin to grow again from this venture, but not NASA.

NASA (at least in manned spaceflight) will not begin to grow again until Orion and the massive Space Launch System (SLS) launcher are ready. Orion won't be making an unmanned test flight before 2014 and the SLS won't make its first test flight before 2017.

[DONTEATUS]

Waspie_Dwarf, on 01 May 2012 - 11:08 PM, said:

How?
The very point is that this is NOT a NASA vehicle. Although NASA provided some funds, both this and the Orbital Sciences Corporation Cygnus vehicle (which will make its first test flight later in the year) are privately developed. NASA will be buying services from these companies in the same way that it buys seats on the Soyuz vehicles from the Russians.

Both Space-X and Orbital are US companies and so there is a strong argument that US space exploration can begin to grow again from this venture, but not NASA.

NASA (at least in manned spaceflight) will not begin to grow again until Orion and the massive Space Launch System (SLS) launcher are ready. Orion won't be making an unmanned test flight before 2014 and the SLS won't make its first test flight before 2017.

Well I understand that many Ex-NASA employes have already taken up jobs in several of the start up co`s But NASA will indeed grow there`s too much History and Skills that they alone have ! We will return to the Stars,ANd you will be surprised from where the next new news will come from ! Lets just say its a little birdie that roost near a Big White House !

[Waspie_Dwarf]

DONTEATUS, on 03 May 2012 - 03:44 AM, said:

Well I understand that many Ex-NASA employes have already taken up jobs in several of the start up co`s But NASA will indeed grow there`s too much History and Skills that they alone have ! We will return to the Stars,ANd you will be surprised from where the next new news will come from ! Lets just say its a little birdie that roost near a Big White House !

I have to be honest, I'm really not sure exactly what you are trying to say here. The only thing that is clear is that you are not answering the question I asked.

I did not say that NASA wouldn't grow, exactly the opposite in fact, as I gave the circumstances in which I believed NASA would again.

What I did ask was in response to a very specific claim you made regarding SpaceX and the Dragon spacecraft:

DONTEATUS, on 01 May 2012 - 08:46 PM, said:

This will be epic ! I cant wait ! NASA will no doubt start to grow again from this venture !

My question was simple, "how?" I repeat, this is not a NASA spacecraft. NASA will pay for it's use in the same way as they pay the Russians for Soyuz use.

Your answered in no way addressed the question. Indeed it contained a lot of waffle and hints but no actual, meaningful information. Would you like to try again?