Category: Commercial

  • Commercial Space – Part Four

    Now we move onto the NASA Commercial Crew Development (CCDev/CCDev2) providers. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) SNC are currently working on the Dream Chaser spacecraft, designed to lift off on top a man-rated launcher with Delta-V as the current preferred booster.  The craft is designed to transport up to seven astronauts as well as cargo.  Exact…

  • Commercial Space – Part Three

    As we continue our look at the Commercial Space Industry we turn out focus on Bigelow Aerospace. Bigelow Aerospace Unlike SpaceX and Orbital, Bigelow is focusing on creating Orbital Space Stations using inflatable technologies to drastically increase the usable space available once on orbit. So far they have launched the Genesis 1 and 2 modules…

  • Commercial Space – Part Two

    Today we continue our look at the Commercial Space Industry and what Orbital Sciences Corporation has to offer. Orbital Sciences Corporation Orbital is not a new comer to the Space Launch business having been started in 1982 and completed 62 space launch missions since.  They currently offer the air launched Pegasus rocket, the ground launched…

  • Commercial Space – Part One cont.

    This morning during the press conference for the Soyuz docking Bill Gerstenmaier NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Operations confirmed that SpaceX had provided them with the final Dragon Spacecraft software which will be used for orbital operations.  NASA are now reviewing the software and Bill estimated that they should be able to set an actual…

  • Commercial Space – Part One

    Yesterday I mentioned the SpaceX Falcon Heavy as my preferred launch vehicle for the Mars Rover mission.  I have been watching with increased interested the development of the commercial launch business as companies like SpaceX, Orbital and others progress towards supplying the Space Station and offering launch capabilities to the broader industry. SpaceX At the…