Comercial Space Exploration

[Maio 293]

I'm just curious on what you guys think about this:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/cargo/spacex_launchpreview.html

I for one welcome it fully. The more players we have... the more competitive it will get.

[Nicholas 5]

I have been following SpaceX for quite some time now, long before they even became well-known to the public and associated with NASA. I am really glad to see the strides they've made.

I fully support them and any other private space vehicle/exploration companies. As you've said, the more companies involved = more competition = lower prices.

[[aps]gnat 28]

....... and hopefully more spacecraft and space exploration.

[instagoat 133]

As someone who really loves the Idea of pushing boundaries, exploring new frontiers and learning new things, I welcome this. However, rationally and from a long-term economic point of view, commercial exploitation of space is something that wouldn´t even be viable with torchship-class spaceships (ie, Ships capable of brachistochrone orbits instead of hohmann orbits.), in any scale but extremely limited, exclusive traffic like colony ships.

There is literally nothing in space we cannot get cheaper on earth. It would be easier to mine the gobi desert, karakum or central antarctica, than try to exploit resources from space.

And no, mining Helium-3 from the moon is not an option either.

Kudos to them for trying, though. We need people with dreams, and screw the money.

[Maio 293]

Update on this:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/cargo/spacex_launch.html

Be sure to keep an eye on NASA TV this Friday to see the linkup between the Dragon and ISS.

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

I hope they get sole monopoly and Russia gets left in the dust, because that's where they belong, then little by little new players will emerge to cut into their profit margins. ;)

[kavoven 4]

Following every step of them. These companies are going to make ne next big step in space exploration and not the NASA, ESA, ROSKOSMOS or anything else. They're innovative and have enough money to employ the best people.

[Nicholas 5]

The head of the Russian Space Agency and Russian diplomats visited the SpaceX headquarters yesterday. The United States President has also called Elon Musk, the CEO, to congratulate him.

The Dragon capsule has made a pass by the ISS and has been performing greatly. It should be docking today.

I've been following Elon Musk on Twitter.

Edited May 25, 2012 by Nicholas

[Maio 293]

Keep an eye on NASA TV, it will soon make it's final approach and dock with the ISS ;) Not to mention you get a great view of the Big Blue ;)

[Nicholas 5]

The SpaceX Dragon capsule has resumed its approach toward the International Space Station from a distance of 250 meters. It will head up to 235 meters, at which point the crew will begin to issue a series of retreat commands, testing the capability to abort at the rendezvous if required. This process will continue until Dragon reaches the 30-meter mark.

NASA.gov Website

[kavoven 4]

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ustream.html

TV Link

Capture Time will be 9:10 am EDT

Visit http://twitter.com/#!/spacex for live updates

Edit

They're now at 30 meters, postponed for 10:02 AM ET

Edit2

They made it at 9:56

Edited May 25, 2012 by kavoven

[Maio 293]

They got it :D Good going ISS crew and SpaceX

[[aps]gnat 28]

One small step for SpaceX, one huge leap for commercial space endeavours.

Well done guys.

[Nicholas 5]

Dragon's Hatches Opened; News Conference Set for 11:25 a.m. EDT

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:21:01 AM MDT

The hatch between the newly arrived SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the Harmony module of the International Space Station was opened by NASA Astronaut Don Pettit at 5:53 am EDT as the station flew 253 miles above Auckland, New Zealand. The hatch opening begins four days of operations to upload more than 1,000 pounds of cargo from the first commercial spacecraft to visit the space station and reload it with experiments and cargo for a return trip to Earth. It is scheduled for splashdown several hundred miles west of California on May 31.

Wearing protective masks and goggles, as is customary for the opening of a hatch to any newly arrived vehicle at the station, Pettit entered the Dragon with Station Commander Oleg Kononenko. The goggles and masks will be removed once the station atmosphere has had a chance to mix air with the air inside the Dragon itself. A crew news conference will air on NASA TV at 11:25 a.m.

NASA.gov Website