Private American company Golden Spike has announced that it plans to offer manned space flights to the surface of the moon by 2020. Its announcement came on the 40th anniversary of the most recent manned mission to the moon by Apollo 17. Watch former Nasa executive Alan Stern and former Apollo flight director Gerry Griffin discussing their space flights at a National Press Club presentation in Washington DC: Girffin told the audience: "Our vision is to create a reliable and affordable, Us-based commercial human lunar transportation system that enables the exploration of the moon, by humans from virtually any nation, or any corporation, or any individual wishing to accomplish objectives (more)...
- 12/7/2012
- by By Charlotte Grant-West
- Digital Spy
Falcon 9 is SpaceX's flagship rocket, and a great leap forward for President Obama's plans to diversify the space industry (video of launch below). The vehicle will help ferry cargo up to the International Space Station in the years between Nasa's retirement of the Space Shuttles and developing a new heavy-lift launch capability of its own. It's 55 meters tall, and powered by nine of the same Merlin engines that SpaceX has been developing for years to power its fleet. These specs make the vehicle a promising medium-heavy lift rocket, capable of carrying payloads that measure up to 11 meters tall. And they're also good enough that one day the rocket may be able to be human cargo-ratable, turning it into a serious alternative launch system for Nasa to consider for the manned space missions.
There is a fantastic shot of the second stage booster disconnecting at 3:27 into the video.
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Here's...
There is a fantastic shot of the second stage booster disconnecting at 3:27 into the video.
[twistage e7097ab367bde]
Here's...
- 6/5/2010
- by Noah Robischon
- Fast Company
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