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Space station puts out welcome mat for private spaceships

SpaceX craft to visit outpost in December; Orbital plans trip in 2012

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SpaceX
An artist's conception shows SpaceX's Dragon capsule delivering cargo to the International Space Station.
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updated 7/29/2011 12:30:35 PM ET 2011-07-29T16:30:35

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. — Despite the grounding of NASA's storied space shuttle fleet, American spaceships are expected to make three trips to the International Space Station in the coming months.

All of these visits, however, will be by private vehicles. The California-based company SpaceX is set to launch its Dragon capsule toward the station on Nov. 30 on its second and final orbital test flight, NASA officials say. And if all goes well, the firm could launch another Dragon capsule on its first operational cargo-carrying mission three or four months later.

The Virginia-based company Orbital Sciences, for its part, is planning to send its Cygnus capsule racing toward the station in February 2012.

So, even though the shuttle program has been retired, the future may not be so bleak for American spaceflight, many in the private sector stress.

"I believe we're on the cusp of a golden age of industry-led innovation," Garrett Reisman, head of SpaceX's commercial crew development program, said Thursday at the New Space 2011 conference, which is being held here at NASA's Ames Research Center. [NASA's Space Shuttle Program In Pictures: A Tribute]

Not carrying astronauts yet
The three upcoming flights to the space station won't be carrying any astronauts. They're being made under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, or COTS, which aims to encourage the development of private cargo-carrying craft to fill the gap left by the retirement of the shuttle fleet.

SpaceX holds a $1.6 billion NASA contract to make 12 supply flights to the orbiting lab. Last December, the company made its first orbital test flight with its Dragon capsule, which launched atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

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The Nov. 30 mission will be the Dragon/Falcon system's second demonstration flight under the COTS program. While the first Dragon test flight orbited Earth twice and then splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, SpaceX wants this second one to dock with the space station.

The capsule will carry cargo on both legs of the journey, SpaceX officials said.

"If we're up there, we might as well take some stuff up and bring some stuff back down," Reisman told Space.com.

If all goes well with that flight, Reisman added, the next Dragon mission would likely not be a demo — it would be a fully operational re-supply mission, the first of the 12 under SpaceX's contract. And it could happen as soon as next March.

Orbital Sciences, too
Orbital Sciences also has a cargo resupply contract. NASA is paying Orbital $1.9 billion to make eight flights using the company's Cygnus capsule and Taurus 2 rocket, both of which are under development.

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The firm hopes to send the Taurus 2 on its first test flight this December, SpaceNews reported recently. A full demo run, during which Cygnus docks with the space station, is planned for two months later.

Both SpaceX and Orbital Sciences are interested in carrying more than just cargo to the orbiting lab. SpaceX is already receiving NASA funding for the development of a crew-capable Dragon that could one day transport NASA astronauts to the outpost. For now, NASA spacefliers will be hitching rides on Russian-built Soyuz vehicles.

SpaceX plans to upgrade the Dragon by installing seats and a launch-abort system. Orbital has proposed developing an entirely different vehicle, a space plane called Prometheus.

They're not the only ones. A private orbital space race is taking shape, as a handful of other firms — including Sierra Nevada Corp., Blue Origin, Excalibur Almaz and Boeing — are working on their own crew-carrying vehicles. [Vote Now! The Best Spaceships of All Time]

Both Boeing and Sierra Nevada have said they plan to be making manned flights by 2015. Sierra Nevada hopes to be fully operational by then.

You can follow Space.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: @michaeldwall. Follow Space.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcomand on Facebook.

© 2013 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

Explainer: Ten high-profile players in the commercial space race

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  • Image: Obama at KSC
    Jewel Samad  /  AFP — Getty Images file
    US President Barack Obama walks past a main engine of a shuttle as he arrives to speak on the new course the administration is charting for NASA and the future of US leadership in human space flight at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 15, 2010.

    When NASA's space shuttle fleet retires in 2011, the space agency will have to rely on Russian spacecraft and the private sector to taxi cargo and humans to and from the International Space Station, even as it turns its focus to the technologies required to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit.

    President Barack Obama views the policy as a boost to the nascent commercial spaceflight industry, where competition is already heating up to supply the taxi services. Some companies are also talking about offering out-of-this-world rides for researchers as well as tourists with deep pockets and a serious case of star lust. Click ahead to check out 10 of the top players in the race to commercialize space.

  • Space Exploration Technologies

    Image: Falcon 9 launch
    CollectSpace.com
    SpaceX's Falcon 9 rises from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Friday, sending a test capsule into orbit.

    PayPal co-founder Elon Musk has already signed up NASA as a marquee account for his high-flying venture, Space Exploration Technologies, also known as SpaceX. The government has a $1.6 billion contract with the Hawthorne, Calif., company to provide unmanned cargo deliveries to the International Space Station starting in 2011 with its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule.

    This image shows the successful test launch of the Falcon 9 rocket on June 4. The rocket will eventually carry the Dragon to orbit. If all goes according to plan, astronauts may get a lift as well, starting in 2013. SpaceX has also secured contracts to launch next-generation satellites for the telecommunications company Iridium.

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    Orbital Sciences

    Image: Orbital Sciences
    Orbital Sciences

    Another NASA contract — this one worth a reported $1.9 billion — is in the bag at Virginia-based Orbital Sciences, which is planning to supply the International Space Station with its unmanned Cygnus spacecraft, shown here in an artist’s rendering. A newly-developed Taurus 2 rocket will ferry the cargo ship to space. If the opportunity presents itself, the company may advance plans to ferry humans to orbit as well.

  • Boeing

    Image: Space capsule
    Boeing
    Boeing is hard at work on the research and development of a new space capsule aimed at flying people to the International Space Station.

    Boeing, the aerospace giant, has unveiled plans to flesh out designs and build a new capsule-based spaceship called the CST-100, which will take cargo and passengers to the International Space Station. The development push comes thanks to an $18 million NASA grant.

    The Apollo-like capsule will carry a crew of seven and be designed to launch on a variety of rockets, including the Atlas and Delta rockets operated by the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture known as the United Launch Alliance, as well as SpaceX's Falcon. Extra seats may be made available for paying passengers through a marketing arrangement with Space Adventures.

  • Masten Space Systems

    X Prize Foundation via AP
    This photo shows the Masten Space System rocket XA-0.1B, also called "Xombie" launching from the pad, traveling 50 meters above the ground at the Mojave Air & Space Port. Mojave, CA on Oct. 7, 2009.

    While big NASA contracts have already gone to big names in the commercial space industry, lesser-known Masten Space Systems is in the race to pick up taxi fares to the International Space Station as well.

    The company won a $1 million lunar challenge prize with the Xoie spacecraft shown here. It is now working on a next-generation vehicle based on the vertical-takeoff-and-landing design to ferry cargo. NASA funding will go toward four test flights of the spacecraft, called Xaero.

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    Sierra Nevada Corporation

    Image: Sierra Nevada Corporation
    Lewis Geyer  /  Times-call

    The reusable Dream Chaser space plane, under development by Sierra Nevada Corp. subsidiary SpaceDev , has a look and feel reminiscent of a mini-space shuttle. Like NASA spacecraft, a rocket lifts the space plane up — and at the end of its mission, the plane lands on a runway.

    In fact, the transportation system is based on NASA technology, and the company recently received $20 million from the space agency to continue the plane's development. A full-scale mockup of the plane is shown in this file photo from its unveiling in 2006.

  • Bigelow Aerospace

    Image: Bigelow Aerospace
    Bigelow Aerospace

    Entrepreneur Robert Bigelow padded his bank account by building a hotel chain, Budget Suites of America. His latest pioneering venture, Bigelow Aerospace, is aimed at building affordable habitats in space.

    Two prototype inflatable capsules have already been launched, and plans are in the works to put the more expansive Sundancer space station, shown here in an artist's conception, in orbit by 2015.

    In this case, the overnight guests may include national space agencies as well as private-sector researchers and thrill-seeking tourists. Other players in the commercial space sector would taxi guests to and from the puffy digs.

  • Blue Origin

    Image: Blue Origin
    Blue Origin

    Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, who amassed a fortune selling the printed word online, has few words to share about Blue Origin, his commercial space venture to fly a vertical launch and landing rocket to suborbital space.

    This much is known: A demonstration vehicle called Goddard, shown here in a file photo, successfully took off and landed in 2006 from the company's private spaceport in west Texas. It's not yet known when the company's commercial vehicle will be ready for a public unveiling.

    A bit more info: NASA recently awarded the company $3.7 million of a $50 million pie that it says is for the "development of system concepts, key technologies, and capabilities that could ultimately be used in commercial crew human space transportation systems." Blue Origin is concentrating on the development of a launch escape system that could push a NASA capsule to safety in case of emergency.

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    Virgin Galactic

    Virgin Galactic
    The Virgin Galactic suborbital spaceliner SpaceShipTwo makes its first crewed flight on July 15, 2010 over the Mojave Desert in California.

    Space enthusiasts with $200,000 to burn can book a ticket to ride to outer space with Virgin Galactic on the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. The plane, meant for tourism as well as research, will haul six passengers and two pilots on suborbital flights that pop into outer space for a few minutes before returning to Earth.

    The aircraft was designed by aerospace engineer Burt Rutan and colleagues at Scaled Composites. Test flights of the spacecraft, which launches from the WhiteKnightTwo mothership, are under way. Ticketholders will get their opportunity to ride once all systems are a go.

  • Armadillo Aerospace

    Image: Armadillo future spacecraft
    Armadillo Aerospace

    Would-be space tourists who balk at the price tag for a ride on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo might consider another option in the offing: $102,000 for a seat on Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace's vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.

    The spacecraft, shown in this artist's conception, will rocket passengers into outer space for about five minutes of weightlessness and 360-degree views. Tickets can be booked through Space Adventures, the same company that has arranged rides to the International Space Station for the super-wealthy.

  • XCOR Aerospace

    Image: XCOR Aerospace
    XCOR Aerospace

    Yet another option for the space tourist is a $95,000 trip up to the inky blackness at the edge of space in XCOR's Lynx rocketship. The spacecraft, which has room for just one pilot and one passenger riding shotgun, takes off horizontally from a runway and climbs steeply to 200,000 feet, where views abound of planet Earth and the stars. Advance reservations for the hour-long trip can be booked through space tourism company RocketShipTours. An artist's rendering of the rocketship is seen here.

Expand Explainer

Photos: Month in Space: May 2013

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  1. Beauty is in the eye of a hurricane

    The spinning vortex of Saturn's north polar storm resembles a deep red rose in this colar-coded infrared image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Measurements have sized the eye at a staggering 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) across with cloud speeds as fast as 330 miles per hour (150 meters per second). This image was taken from a distance of 261,000 miles (419,000 kilometers) on Nov. 27, 2012, and distributed by NASA on April 29, 2013. (NASA/JPL/Caltech / SSI) Back to slideshow navigation
    Image: Polar storm
    Related interactive Who knew a Saturn storm could look so lovely?

  2. Planetary trio

    Three bright planets form a triangle in the western skies over Stedman, N.C., at twilight on May 26. The planets are Jupiter, left; Venus, lower right; and Mercury, upper right. (Johnny Horne / AP) Back to slideshow navigation

  3. The blessing

    An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media shortly after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan on May 27. The ceremony was part of the preparations for sending three new crew members to the International Space Station. (Bill Ingalls / NASA via AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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  4. Saying goodbye to daddy

    Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, one of the new crew members heading for the International Space Station, joins his daughter in pressing a hand to the window on May 28 as he gets ready for his launch aboard a Soyuz capsule from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The quarantine procedure is part of the pre-launch routine for the Russians. (Sergei Remezov / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation

  5. Arrivederci, Earthlings!

    NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano wave during a farewell ceremony on May 28, before the launch of their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three spacefliers flew to the International Space Station and will remain in orbit until mid-November. (Maxim Shipenkov / EPA) Back to slideshow navigation

  6. Blastoff!

    A Russian Soyuz rocket rises from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 29, heading for the International Space Station. (Bill Ingalls / NASA via EPA) Back to slideshow navigation

  7. Galactic wheels within wheels

    How many rings do you see in this striking image of the galaxy Messier 94, also known as NGC 4736? This infrared image of the galaxy was taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and released on May 16. While at first glance one might see a number of rings, astronomers believe there is just one. The feature that looks like a deep blue outer ring is thought to be an optical illusion, created by two separate spiral arms. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/SINGS Team) Back to slideshow navigation
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  8. Solar flare-up

    A solar flare erupts from the sun on May 14 in this image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Between May 12 and 14, four X-class flares erupted from the sun, sending powerful bursts of radiation into space. None of the bursts was directed at Earth. Such flares can temporarily disrupt GPS signals and communications satellites. (NASA/SDO via AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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  9. Looking at the sun

    Women watch a partial solar eclipse from atop Observatory Hill in Sydney, Australia, on May 10. Their eyes are protected from harm by eclipse glasses and solar filters. (David Gray / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
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    Ring of fire

    Skygazers across the Australian Outback were among the lucky few to witness an annular solar eclipse on May 10. The "ring of fire" eclipse is created when the moon is positioned to block almost all of the sun's disk, leaving only a dazzling ring of light exposed. This picture shows the eclipse blazing in the morning sky south of Newman, Australia. The "second sun" is a lens effect. (Nicole Hollenbeck) Back to slideshow navigation

  11. Cosmic doughnut

    In this composite image released on May 23, visible-light observations by the Hubble Space Telescope are combined with infrared data from the ground-based Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona to assemble a dramatic view of the well-known Ring Nebula. The combined imagery gave astronomers a deeper understanding of the nebula's structure. "The nebula is not like a bagel, but rather, it's like a jelly doughnut, because it's filled with material in the middle," says C. Robert O'Dell of Vanderbilt University. (C.R. O'Dell/D. Thompson/NASA/ESA) Back to slideshow navigation
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    Image: Moore Continues Slow Recovery One Week After Massive Tornado Hits
    Related slideshow Tornadoes ravage Plains

    Birth of a tornado

    The storm system that generated a tornado in Moore, Okla., is seen in this photo taken by an instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite on May 20, shortly before the tornado struck. The Moore tornado killed at least 24 people and injured more than 200 others. (NASA/Goddard/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team via Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
  13. Related interactive Space station chief returns home a star

    Space superstar

    Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield floats with his guitar aboard the International Space Station as he sings a revised version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" to mark his departure from the International Space Station. The video of his performance has been watched millions of times since it was posted on YouTube on May 12. (Chris Hadfield / CSA/NASA via EPA) Back to slideshow navigation
  14. Image:
    Related slideshow Our fragile Earth

    Farewell to space

    The sun rises over the horizon in this view from the International Space Station, posted on Twitter on May 13 by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield with this commentary: "Spaceflight finale: To some this may look like a sunset. But it's a new dawn." (Commander Chris Hadfield / CSA) Back to slideshow navigation

  15. Return to Earth

    A Russian Soyuz TMA-07M space capsule lands in Kazakhstan on May 14. The capsule brought Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn and Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko back to Earth after five months in orbit aboard the International Space Station. (Mikhail Metzel / Pool via AP) Back to slideshow navigation

  16. Iris Nebula opens wide

    A cloud of glowing gas known as the Iris Nebula takes center stage in this infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, released May 24. The main cluster of stars within the nebula is called NGC 7023. It lies 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus. Lower-resolution data from NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer were used to fill out the outer areas of this image, which Spitzer did not cover. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) Back to slideshow navigation

  17. Over the moon

    An airplane passes in front of the moon over Philadelphia on May 21. (Joseph Kaczmarek / AP) Back to slideshow navigation
    Image: Borschberg watches as Solar Impulse's HB-SIA prototype lands at Washington Dulles International Airport
    Related slideshow Solar Impulse: A fuel-free flight across America

  18. Strawberry cocktail

    A stellar nursery shines 6,500 light-years from Earth in this photo, released May 21 to mark the 15-year anniversary of the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. The telescope, located in Chile's Atacama Desert, produced the sharpest-ever view of IC 2944, an emission nebula in the constellation Centaurus. "These opaque blobs resemble drops of ink floating in a strawberry cocktail, their whimsical shapes sculpted by powerful radiation coming from the nearby brilliant young stars," ESO officials said. (ESO via AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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  19. Spacewalker at work

    NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy takes part in a spacewalk to replace a leaky pump controller box on the International Space Station's far port truss on May 11. The repair job was successful, enabling the station to make full use of its power-generating system. (NASA via Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation

  20. Orion's fiery ribbon

    A dramatic new image of cosmic clouds in the constellation Orion reveals what seems to be a fiery ribbon in the sky. The scene was recorded by the European Southern Observatory's Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, or APEX, and released on May 15. The orange glow represents faint light coming from grains of cold interstellar dust, at wavelengths too long for human eyes to see. The large bright cloud in the upper right of the image is the well-known Orion Nebula, also called Messier 42. (ESO via EPA) Back to slideshow navigation
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  21. Saintly sun

    A bird flies beneath a solar halo, an atmospheric phenomenon sometimes called a "sun dog," over Seaside Heights, N.J., on May 14. The halo arises when sunlight is refracted and reflected by clouds of ice crystals high in the atmosphere. (Lucas Jackson / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
  22. Related slideshow The World at Night 2013

    Shooting stars

    A shooting star from the Eta Aquarid meteor shower lights up the skies above Barranco de Ajuy in the Canary Islands on May 6, with the Milky Way's glow serving as a backdrop. The Eta Aquarids flash when Earth passes through dust released by Comet Halley. (Carlos De Saa / EPA) Back to slideshow navigation

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