1st private cargo run to space station now May 19

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

1st private cargo run to space station now May 19
By Associated Press
Saturday, May 5, 2012 - Added 2 minutes ago

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private U.S. company has set a new date for launching a cargo ship to the International Space Station.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX, said Friday it was now aiming for a May 19 liftoff of its Falcon rocket and Dragon capsule. It will be the first commercial cargo run to the space station.

The launch of the supply ship had been scheduled for Monday but was delayed for more software testing. The test flight is already three months late.

NASA used to stockpile the space station through the shuttles, but the fleet was retired last summer. The space agency wants commercial providers to carry up supplies and eventually astronauts.









Read more: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/international/general/view/201205051st_private_cargo_run_to_space_station_now_may_19/

[zbdent]

1. now, to label Mitt as cargo ...

I think we might be able to raise the "airfare" ...

[may3rd]

2. After the heavy lifting tell me, which government agency is cutting the check

That article didn't go into any real detail about this partnership

[skydive forever]

3. NASA is cutting the check

I worked at KSC for 25 years on the shuttle program as a technician. Built the SRBs and External Tank. Coolest job ever! Shutting down the program was devastating for the area. Around 7000 laid off. Space X is going to be doing the work now. We were United Space Alliance, which is now bascally defunct. Worst part is, Bush ordered the shuttle program shut down in 2004 after the completion of the Space Station, but Obama got the blame. I hear it all the time from ex coworkers. Really frustrating to deal with people that are willfully ignorant about believes that are so easily disproven. http://spaceksc.blogspot.com/2010/04/when-bush-cancelled-space-shuttle.html

[may3rd]

5. How much would this single lift cost NASA a few years ago if they did the same weight ?

The check is coming out of the NASA budget but they get their funding from the fed govt/taxpayer.
I hope the difference is very large as the start up businesses need the shot in the arm in order to expand and hire.

[AtheistCrusader]

7. It's far, far less, BUT, these guys aren't very proven.

Cargo could turn into very expensive glitter.


53 metric tons per launch of the Dragon/Falcon9 assembly:

"The average price of a full-up NASA Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station is $133 million including inflation, or roughly $115m in today’s dollars, and we have a firm, fixed price contract with NASA for 12 missions. This price includes the costs of the Falcon 9 launch, the Dragon spacecraft, all operations, maintenance and overhead, and all of the work required to integrate with the Space Station. If there are cost overruns, SpaceX will cover the difference. (This concept may be foreign to some traditional government space contractors that seem to believe that cost overruns should be the responsibility of the taxpayer.)"

Space Shuttle payload to low earth orbit was about 26 tons. (Plus about 6 humans, dragon carries cargo or humans, not both, at present)

NASA indicated the average cost per launch of the Space Shuttle was 450 million dollars.


So, SpaceX has signed a contract with NASA for 12 launches to the space station of almost double the tonnage, for 1/4th the cost of the same job with the Space Shuttle.

[midnight]

9. Bush left the place in shambles... Interesting... My family in Texas said the same thing about how

he left Texas...

[Doc Holliday]

4. If this is the wave of the future

of the space program-- the private sector pushing it-- then we need what Heinlein fans would call a D.D. Harriman right about now. Maybe a Gates or a Soros....

I think we need a Long Range Foundation, too...but that's just me.

[truthisfreedom]

6. I think you'd be surprised how many private space vehicle ventures are going on right now.

One of the exectutives at Microsoft is starting one. Richard Branson has Virgin Galactic, Elon Musk has SpaceX (this article is about them), and there's another one that was announced recently comprised of (I believe) 3 billionaires.

[Posteritatis]

8. The Planetary Resources one excites the hell out of me. (nt)