A new era of commercial space flight began. 9 of the Falcon rocket company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has been launched from Florida, Friday, June 4, 2010 last.
SpaceX is not alone through the atmosphere to send cargo and astronauts into space.
U.S. space agency, NASA is known to have asked for SpaceX and other companies, Virginia’s Orbital Sciences to build an unmanned rocket to send cargo to the international space station.
After that, SpaceX plans to modify the design of Lockheed Martin’s Orien capsule as a lifeboat station space. Meanwhile, the giant Boeing company also hopes to provide commercial crew space flight.
nasa rocket 6 Space Tourism Company
Some small companies are also eager to build space rockets to transport humans to the heavens. Already there are six companies in the list.
1. Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Name of aircraft: Dragon and Falcon 9, can carry 7 passengers or less – if combined with the transport of cargo.
The company’s founder: Elon Musk, founder of remittance site, PayPal, worth U.S. $ 100 million of wealth Musk and U.S. $ 20 million from outside investors.
Location: Hawthorne, California, began operations in 2002
Flights: Debut rocket launch in 2010. While the first flights will be conducted in 2011.
Two unmanned rocket that SpaceX, Dragon and Falcon 9, was originally intended to transport cargo to the international space station. Dragon will be ready to fly astronauts in watu three years after receiving a contract from NASA.
2. Orbital Sciences
Name of aircraft: Cygnus and Taurus 2, Cygnus was designed as an unmanned aircraft.
Founder: David W. Thompson, Bruce W. Ferguson, Scott L. Webster, with the property: Approximately U.S. $ 1 billion
Location: Dulles, Virginia, began operations in 1982
Plan flight to outer space: 2011
Orbital Science has a contract worth U.S. $ 1.9 billion by NASA to provide eight cargo delivery mission to the international space station using the Cygnus and Taurus 2. The launch is planned in 2011 from Wallops Island, Va..
Orbital has not announced plans to change the Cygnus a manned aircraft.
3. Blue Origin
Name of aircraft: New Shepard, at least, can carry three astronauts
Founder: Jeff Bezoz, who is also the founder of Amazon.com
Location: Kent, Washington, began operations in 2004
Plan a rocket launch, mid 2010
The company is closing the meeting information about a planned launch humans into space. However, Blue Origin has been testing prototype aircraft, the New Shepard in Texas.
Earlier this year, NASA chose the Blue Origin to develop an astronaut rescue system and build a prototype composite space capsule as part of a commercial crew launch program.
4. Bigelow Aerospace
Name of aircraft: Sundancer – can carry three crew and BA-330 – can carry six passengers.
Founder: Robert Bigelow, a company with a wealth of U.S. $ 180 million of wealth Bigelow.
Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada, began operations in 1999
Plans launch of rocket: 2015
Rocket Sundancer and BA-330 is expected to be a space station, not just a rocket. The company’s founder, Robert Bigelow had a dream to develop the station on the Moon with inflatable technology. – can be pumped.
Although Bigelow did not have a rocket or spacecraft to fly to the station, the company has worked with Boeing in the provision of crew members.
5. SpaceDev / Sierra Nevada Corp..
Name of aircraft: Dream Chaser, can carry 4 passengers on suborbital flights, and 6 in orbital flight.
The company’s founder: Jim Benson (deceased), was replaced by Fatih Ozmen
Location: Poway, California, began operations in 1997
Space flight Plan: currently in development
California-based SpaceDev, is fully owned by Sierra Nevada Corp.. This company has developed the Dream Chaser – aircraft that can carry crew and cargo into space, through the Atlas 5 rocket.
In February, the Sierra Nevada won projects worth U.S. $ 20 million from NASA to resume construction of the Dream Chaser’s.
6. Virgin Galactic
Name of aircraft: Spaceship Two, can carry six passengers and two pilots.
Owner: miyuner England, Sir Richard Branson, as well as providers of funds.
Location: London, England and Spaceport, New Mexico, began operating in 2004.
Flight Plan: late 2011 or early 2012.
The plane owned by Virgin Galactic is designed to trip into space. Passengers who want to be a traveler is required to pay about S $ 200 thousand per seat.
Meanwhile, aircraft carriers, WhiteKnightTwo – can be modified to launch small rockets or satellites for NASA or other users.
SpaceShipTwo is designed by aerospace engineer Burt Rutan. This is a larger version of SpaceShipOne, which flew successfully in suborbital flights in 2004.