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Commercial Spaceflight Companies Could this be your ticket to space? 200,000.00 Amt: Courtesy of Spaceport America Courtesy of Spaceport America Image credit Virgin Galactic
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
Could this be your ticket to space?
200,000.00Amt:
Courtesy of Spaceport AmericaCourtesy of Spaceport America
Image credit Virgin Galactic
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
Spaceport America Spaceport America (located near Las Cruces , New Mexico) will be the world’s first commercial spaceport designed formanned and unmanned spaceflight. Commercial spaceflight companies tentatively planning to operate out of Spaceport America, are Virgin Galactic and Up Aerospace .
Courtesy of Spaceport America
Courtesy of Spaceport AmericaCourtesy of Spaceport America
Your Spaceport
Courtesy of Spaceport America
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
White Knight Two AircraftThe first WhiteKnightTwo, christened VMS Eve after Richard Branson's mother, was revealed to the public for the first time in July 2008. It is the largest all carbon composite aircraft ever built. It has the capability to carry heavy payloads (around 35,0000lbs) to high altitude (around 50,000ft) and the ability to perform zero g maneuvers and has a range of 2000 nautical miles.
Image credit Virgin Galactic
White Knight Two with Spaceship two in launch configuration
Image credit Virgin Galactic
Commercial Spaceflight CompaniesWhite Knight Two Aircraft
Image credit Virgin Galactic
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
Image credit Virgin Galactic
SpaceShip Two
Space Ship Two uses all the same basic technology, carbon composite construction and design as SpaceShipOne. However it is around twice as large as that vehicle and will carry six passengers and two pilots
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
Image credit Virgin Galactic
Technical Specifications of Spaceship TwoSpaceship Two is an air launched glider (launched from White Knight Two) witha rocket motor and a couple of extra systems for spaceflight. Just like any aircraft, it requires aerodynamic forces to provide stability and control while in the atmosphere. In space, pilots use small thrusters known as the reaction control system (RCS) that allow pilots to maneuver the vehicle in space to provide a better view for passenger astronauts.
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
The Virgin Galactic Space Ship Enterprise made its first flight on March 22, 2010 with space ship two firmly bolted under the wing of the four-engine Virgin Mothership Eve.Virgin Galactic plans to launch commercial flights beginning in late 2011 or early 2012.
Image credit Virgin Galactic
Image credit Virgin Galactic Image credit Virgin Galactic
Commercial Spaceflight CompaniesSpace X
SpaceX headquarters is located in Hawthorne, CaliforniaTheir vehicle manufacturing and design are also located at the Hawthorne, California facility.Engine and large-scale structural testing occurs at a test site in McGregor, Texas.SpaceX also operates launch facilities at the Kwajalein Atoll (Reagan Test Site) in the Marshall Islands, at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SpaceX also maintains offices in Washington, D.C.
Image credit SpaceX
Commercial Spaceflight CompaniesSpace X
Length: 54.9 m (180 ft)
Width: 3.6 m (12 ft)
Mass (LEO, 5.2m fairing):
333,400 kg (735,000 lb)
Mass (GTO, 5.2m fairing):
332,800 kg (733,800 lb)
Thrust (vacuum):
4.94 MN (1,110,000 lbf)
The Falcon 9 launch vehicle
Image credit SpaceX
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
The Dragon Spacecraft
Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft being developed by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. SpaceX has designed the Dragon spacecraft for transfer of cargo and crew to low earth orbit as well as pressurized or unpressurized cargo. December 2008, NASA announced the selection of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft to resupplythe International Space Station (ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires.
Space X
Image credit SpaceX
Commercial Spaceflight CompaniesRocketplane Global
Rocketplane Global, Inc. (RGI) was founded in 2001as a commercial space flight company. Rocketplane opened its first office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Image credit Rocketplane Global
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
Image credit Rocketplane Global Image credit Rocketplane Global
Rocketplane XP (mfg. by Rocketplane Global)
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
General CharacteristicsLength: 44 feet Diameter: 5.6 feet GTOW: 20,000 lbs Crew Environment: Pressurized cabin to ~10 psi Payload Capacity: 5 passengers No. of Jet Engines: 2 No. of Rocket Engines: 1 Rocket Propellant: LOX / Kerosene Nominal Rocket Thrust: 36,000 lbs
Rocketplane XP
Image credit Rockeplane Global
Image credit Rockeplane Global
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
Typical flight path for the Rocketplane XP
Image credit Rockeplane Gobal
Commercial Spaceflight Companies
The Dreamchaser overall space transportation system based on the NASA HL-20 lifting body spaceplane. Dream ChaserTM, is designed to carry passengers and cargo on sub-orbital and orbital flights, which could including flights to and from the International Space Station. The Dream ChaserTM will provide a safe and affordable solution for commercial space operations, will launch vertically and land horizontally on conventional runways.
Image credit SpaceX Image credit SpaceX
Commercial Spaceflight CompaniesUp Aerospace Corporate
UP Aerospace Corporation is a space launch and test flight servicesprovider which offers quick and economical access to space.Using privately funded sources UP Aerospace Corporate createda new low cost sounding rocket named SpaceLoft XL.
On April 28, 2007 SpaceLoft XL made its historic first space flightfrom New Mexico’s Spaceport America Launch Pad One.
Up Aerospace Corporate provides services for both government, Commercial and educational projects in schools and universities.
UP Aerospace Corporate, engineering and manufacturing officesare in Denver, Colorado with business offices in Connecticut.Launch flight facilities are at New Mexico’s Spaceport America. Im
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SpaceLoft XL
