What Progress Has There Been in Private Spaceflight?

The aircraft used to satisfy private space flight, according to the US Space Network, with the emergence of a series of new commercial spacecraft, the era of private space flight is near.

Private spaceship

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The aircraft used to satisfy private space flight, according to the US Space Network, with the emergence of a series of new commercial spacecraft, the era of private space flight is near.

Chinese name

Private spaceship

Foreign name

Private spacecraft

According to the US Space Network, with the emergence of a series of new commercial spacecraft, the era of private space flight is nearing. NASA's space shuttle is about to retire. Although the departure of the space shuttle will adversely affect NASA's space transportation, it also provides a good opportunity for the development of private spacecraft. Listed below are 10 new types of private spacecraft that will soon become reality. ^[1]

1.Lynx

Lynx

With rocket-powered space shuttle Lynx, XCOR Aerospace of Mojave, California, USA enters suborbital space flight business. It only cost $ 95,000 to take the shuttle to space. Although each flight can only carry one pilot and one passenger, a short two-hour turnaround time can make up for the lack of space and can carry up to 4 flights per day.

2.Silver dart

Silver dart

Although PlanetSpace Inc. in Chicago focused its orbital space journey, it turned its shuttle into a sub-orbital earth transportation system. PlanetSpace's space shuttle "Silver Dart" can be fitted with a sub-orbital rocket engine for point-to-point flight on Earth. The "Silver Dart" can fly 25,000 miles (about 40.233 million kilometers) at supersonic speeds. "With this system, traveling from New York to Paris in 20 minutes is definitely not a problem," said Jeff Sherian, CEO of PlanetSpace.

3. Former Soviet Union RRV

Former Soviet RRV

Excalibur Almaz Ltd of the Isle of Man has purchased several reusable return space vehicles (RRVs) from the former Soviet Union. The spacecraft was designed to send astronauts to Almaz, the secret space station of the 1970s. Excalibur Almaz has not announced the cost of a week's space journey, but plans to upgrade the design of the RRV spacecraft with modern technology. The RRV spacecraft consists of a cone-shaped RRV for launch and return and a one-time service cabin. The spacecraft can carry 3 people, including a commander and two passengers.

4. Dream Chaser

dream Chaser

SpaceDev, a subsidiary of the Sierra Nevada company in Centennial, Colorado, is developing a seven-person spaceship "Dream Catcher" designed to send astronauts into space using Atlas 5 rockets. SpaceDev receives $ 20 million from NASA in a commercial crew development competition held in February 2010

5.Vertical Tourships

Vertical Tourships

The US space travel company Virginia Adventure plans to sell tickets for space tours using a new suborbital rocket-powered spacecraft developed by Armadillo Aerospace. Armadillo, Texas, is a company funded by computer game tycoon John Calmac. The "armadillo" vertical launch rocket spacecraft can send two passengers into space 62 miles (100 kilometers) from Earth at a cost of $ 102,000, far less than the ISS trip provided by Space Adventure cost.

6. Sun Dancer

Sun dancer

Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States has proposed a unique space station design that uses "sun dancers" to assemble a space station. "Sun Dancer" is a manned space capsule that can be inflated in space. Multiple space capsules combine to form a space station or even a lunar base, capable of supporting the presence of three astronauts. Bigelow has launched two prototype capsules-"Origin 1" and "Origin 2". Although unmanned, the capsule still orbits. The company has signed a contract with space exploration technology company SpaceX and plans to launch the "Sun Dancer" on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle in 2014.

7.New Shepard

New Shepard

Blue Origin, a space travel company founded by founder Jeff Bezos, is based in Kent, Washington. The company remains a mystery to the outside world. Little is known about the "blue origin" spaceship, the New Shepard suborbital spacecraft, only knowing that it will consist of a sealed crew cabin installed above the propulsion cabin for experiments, capable of sending astronauts into space 75 miles of space on Earth. NASA has injected $ 3.7 million into Blue Origin to develop astronaut escape systems and build a prototype composite space capsule.

8. Cygnus

Cygnus

Orbital Sciences, a satellite launch company in Dulles, Virginia, plans to enter the world of spaceflight with its advanced mobile spacecraft, Cygnus. The cylindrical "Cygnus" will be launched on the Taurus 2 rocket of "Orbital Science". It carries a pressurized cargo hold with a maximum payload of 5952 pounds (about 2700 kg). The current design of the Cygnus is still unmanned. Currently, Orbital Science has signed a $ 1.9 billion contract with NASA to complete eight cargo shipments and deliver the cargo to the International Space Station. The test flight will take place in 2011. ^[1]

9. Spacecraft II

Space ship two

The well-known entrepreneur Richard Branson and his Virgin Galactic Corporation in New Mexico used the Space Ship 2 to provide suborbital space travel services at a cost of $ 200,000. "White Knight II" is responsible for sending "Pilot 2" with 2 pilots and 6 passengers to an altitude of 50,000 feet (about 16,000 meters). After reaching this altitude, the "Spacecraft 2" will be separated from the "White Knight", while igniting the rocket engine, it can enter space up to 68 miles (110 kilometers). A controlled carrier test flight of Spacecraft II is underway.

10. Dragon capsule

Dragon capsule

SpaceX, a space exploration technology company in Hawthorne, California, developed the Falcon 9 rocket to launch the Dragon capsule. The capsule may first be used to transport cargo to the International Space Station, and then be responsible for astronauts. The "Dragon" capsule is designed to carry up to seven passengers, and the first test flight is scheduled for 2010. ^[1]