Commercialized Space Exploration: The Dawn of a New Era
July 21, 2011, the Space Shuttle Atlantis entered Earth’s atmosphere, beginning its final approach preparations from its last and final mission of the space shuttle program, STS135. 30 years of service shuttling supplies to the ISS, conducting scientific missions and experiments, servicing equipment amongst a myriad of other tasks (most of which installed awe and dreams of possibilities in the programs participants and millions around the globe) came to an end that morning, eventually bringing Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim safely back to Kennedy Space Center where they had launched just 3 days earlier. Like an old friend …show more content…
Some refer to him as the “Steve Jobs of heavy industry”, very serious about sending manned missions to Mars one day soon. With the genesis of SpaceX in 2002, his crew has experienced many setbacks and have overcome many obstacles to be where they are today. They manufacture 70% of their own rockets at its home base in Hawthorne California, bypassing all the vendors they can. Elon is a motivated, strong willed individual leading a very strong team, together dedicated to applying themselves to pushing space exploration forward while not settling for mediocracy. The contracts keep stacking up, both Falcon 1 and 2 rockets showed success with development of a manned version of its Dragon capsule nearing …show more content…
Many more will be contributing and competing in this new “Space Race” with a much different vision than who will be the first on the Moon. Now that we’ve got some serious investors, inventors, visionaries and thinkers at the table, what can be expected in the next 20 years? The famous phrase should now read “Build it, it will come.” Here’s an excerpt from a debate this month (The Space Review) comparing the idea of sending man to Mars and the efforts of Christopher
July 21, 2011, the Space Shuttle Atlantis entered Earth’s atmosphere, beginning its final approach preparations from its last and final mission of the space shuttle program, STS135. 30 years of service shuttling supplies to the ISS, conducting scientific missions and experiments, servicing equipment amongst a myriad of other tasks (most of which installed awe and dreams of possibilities in the programs participants and millions around the globe) came to an end that morning, eventually bringing Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim safely back to Kennedy Space Center where they had launched just 3 days earlier. Like an old friend …show more content…
Some refer to him as the “Steve Jobs of heavy industry”, very serious about sending manned missions to Mars one day soon. With the genesis of SpaceX in 2002, his crew has experienced many setbacks and have overcome many obstacles to be where they are today. They manufacture 70% of their own rockets at its home base in Hawthorne California, bypassing all the vendors they can. Elon is a motivated, strong willed individual leading a very strong team, together dedicated to applying themselves to pushing space exploration forward while not settling for mediocracy. The contracts keep stacking up, both Falcon 1 and 2 rockets showed success with development of a manned version of its Dragon capsule nearing …show more content…
Many more will be contributing and competing in this new “Space Race” with a much different vision than who will be the first on the Moon. Now that we’ve got some serious investors, inventors, visionaries and thinkers at the table, what can be expected in the next 20 years? The famous phrase should now read “Build it, it will come.” Here’s an excerpt from a debate this month (The Space Review) comparing the idea of sending man to Mars and the efforts of Christopher