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SpaceX launches first private rocket into space

09.28.08 | business, tech | Share | Share

Today, September 28, 2008, a rocket developed by the private startup company SpaceX was launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific, and eight minutes later passed above the International Space Station.

Although NASA is quite capable of putting rockets into space, and Burt Rutan’s cleverly designed space plane Space Ship One previously reached the edge of space, this is the first privately owned company to develop and launch a rocket into space. It was actually the fourth attempt by SpaceX, which has pursued the goal with admirable persistence.

Here’s a video:

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To-XOPgaGsQ

Finally NASA has some private competition (and a new supplier, since NASA is a customer of SpaceX). As Burt Rutan, designer of Space Ship One, has explained, the rise of a private space industry is very important for the future of space exploration:

Link: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/burt_rutan_sees_the_future_of_space.html

SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk, who also founded a company that merged with Paypal and is chairman of electric car company Tesla Motors. SpaceX’s vision is to make space transportation ten times cheaper and more reliable. SpaceX’s rocket already is far less expensive than any equivalent government program: just $7.9 million. A portion of the rocket is designed to be reused after each launch, reducing potential cost further.

The door to space has just opened a bit wider …

From childhood trick, to a space telescope

01.24.07 | tech | Share | Share

Have you ever tried looking at a far away object, but had an annoyingly bright light source nearby? It helps to put your hand up, and block off the nearby light source or reflection. I think I first tried doing this at about age 5.

NASA’s latest telescope does something very similar, but on a more sophisticated level. The James Webb Space Telescope has an eight million-pixel infrared detector (that’s the telescope’s eye). In front of the detector there are 62,000 shutters measures 100 by 200 microns, or roughly the width of three to six human hairs, arranged in four identical grids in a layout of 171 rows by 365 columns. The shutters can close to help the detector only detect weaker sources of far away light.

For more, check out the NASA press release: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/jan/HQ_07014_Webb_microshutters.html

Tagged with: astronomy • nasa • space • tech • telescope

NASA embraces a big rocket

09.01.06 | business, tech | Share | Share

Finally, NASA ~~has moved~~ is moving away from the terribly complex and costly Space Shuttle. NASA has decided the replacement for the Space Shuttle’s manned capabilities will be the Orion crew capsule, which looks alot like the Apollo capsules of the past (it’s cone shaped, and at the end of a rocket, the Ares I) but takes advantage of modern technology: http://www.space.com/news/060831_nasa_cev_contract.html

Hopefully this design direction will lead to much lower costs to lift matter into orbit, and increase the pace of the space program.

Update: Apparently a different vehicle on a bigger rocket (the Ares V) will be used to transport heavier payloads into orbit than the space shuttle can support. NASA has a great site showing pictures and video of the Orion concept here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/multimedia/index.html

Tagged with: business • nasa • rocket • space • tech