Space Adventures Looks Forward to Commercial Lunar Flight Missions

The company known for putting space tourist Dennis Tito into orbit has come out with a new plan. One can read the press release (link below) from Space Adventures.

What was released with this press release were some images of the Soyuz TMA configuration spacecraft with it's lunar booster. Attached to the booster is another habitat module that would increase the interior space of the spacecraft for the lunar circumlunar flight.

One seat has already been sold and they are waiting on one more to be sold before going ahead with ordering the equipment. It is possible that this private/commercial spaceflight can take place as early as 2015.

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Ref.

1. Comspacewatch.com. "Space Adventures Looks Ahead To Commercial Lunar Missions" Stacey Tearne, Vice President, Communications press release. May 5, 2011. (http://www.comspacewatch.com/news/viewpr.rss.html?pid=33481). images also from same website.

Shipment of first two Soyuz to French Guiana Anounched

Arianespace announched the shipment of the first two Soyuz vehicles from Russia to their (Arianespace) Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, will bring that company closer to its next major expansion of its growing commercial launcher family.

The Soyuz 2-1a launcher versions have been loaded onboard the MN Colibri, a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship which has now departed the Russian port city of St. Petersburg for the two week crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to South America.

It is expected that these two Soyuz's will be launched in 2010. Arianespace uses the Kourou, French Guiana spaceport, to launch their heavy-lift Ariane 5 booster.

For this, its maiden ocean voyage with Soyuz, the MN Colibri is loaded with a total of some 50 containers. Each three-stage launch vehicle is divided into 10 containers, which carry the four first-stage strap-on boosters, its Block A core stage (which is transported in two segments), the Block I third stage, the Fregat upper stage and the Soyuz 2-1a’s ST-type payload fairing (shipped in two separate half-shells). Also, there is a quantity of refined kerosene propellant for the launcher’s strap-on boosters, as well as its Block A and Block I stages; along with UDMH, N2O4 and hydrazine for its Fregat upper stage.

Cargo for these two Soyuz launchers is the HYLAS telecommunications satellite for Avanti Communications Group plc., and the French CNES space agency’s Pléiades Earth observation satellite.

Launching from the Spaceport in French Guiana, the Soyuz is capable of carrying telecommunications satellites weighing up to three metric tons on missions to geostationary orbit. The vehicle also is well tailored for the lofting of medium-sized scientific, Earth observation and constellation spacecraft on flights to low Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit and on Earth escape trajectories.

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REf. Arianespace.com press release (http://www.arianespace.com/news-soyuz-vega/2009/2009_11_07.asp).

(http://www.comspacewatch.com/news/viewpr.rss.html?pid=29584).

Nuclear Power Spaceship to Fly to Mars - Russia Hopes!

Russia wants to build a new nuclear-powered spaceship for prospective manned space missions to the planet Mars and other more distant planets. So states Anatoly Perminov - Russian space chief stated on October 29th.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has backed the project and is urging the government to find the money needed to back the project.

These remarks were posted on the Russian space agency website. Perminov said that the nuclear spaceship preliminary design work could be done by 2012. It would take an additional 9-10 years to build the spacecraft and cost 17 billion rubles, which equal to about $600 million US dollars. The nuclear reactor that will be on this ship would be in the Megawatt power range. And the engines to be powered by this reactor would be a electric rocket engine. So says Igor Lisov who is a Moscow-base expert on the Russian space program.

"The project is aimed at implementing large-scale space exploration programs, including a manned mission to Mars, interplanetary travel, the creation and operation of planetary outposts." So stated Anatoly Perminov on the website.

The AP/Yahoo news article then went into the odd comparsion of Russian still using the 40-year old Soyuz design that are still used to send crews up to the International Space Station(ISS). Despite the older technology, Russia will take on a greater role in space exploration in the coming decade. Since NASA is planning on retiring the shuttle soon - and this will cause NASA to rely on the Russians and their Soyuz to travel up to the ISS until the Orion capsule is operational.

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Ref. Yahoo new (October 29, 2009) by Vladimir Isachenkov of AP. "Russia hopes nuclear ship will fly humans to Mars"

(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091029/ap_on_sc/eu_russia_nuclear_spaceship).

image of Star Trek Enterprise starship USS Enterprise (http://www.fanpop.com/spots/star-trek-enterprise/images/3999066/title/nx-01-enterprise)

Russians to get New Moon Rocket!

News from Russian Space web about several things, one of which is that Russian space officials are about to select a winning proposal for a new rocket that is intended to carry cosmonauts to the moon and back.

For the first time since 1964, the Russian space program is making the Moon its main objective.  And it will only be the second time since the collapse of the Soviet Union that the Russian government has endorsed the development of a new space launch vehicle/booster.

Expected test flight for the new booster will be by 2015.  Roscosmos (the Russian Space Agency) set out several objectives for the designers.  First objective would for the rocket to be able to boost 3 times heavier the load than the current Soyuz spacecraft (between 20 to 23 tons to low-earth orbit) - including twice the number of crew. Currently, the Soyuz carries 7 tons to low-earth orbit.  To use more environmentally friendly propellants. The new rocket be developed with the replacement for the Soyuz.  First manned flight of the new rocket should take place by 2018. This coincides with NASA's planned returned to manned spaceflight with its Constellation Program.

In other news, the Russian government has committed itelf to moving its main space launch site from Baikonur in Kazakhatan to Vostochny in Russia's Far East.  

The head of Roscosmos, Alexander Chulkov, told the BBC News that the agency is planning on picking a winner by March 25th.

The designers must employ non-toxic propellants such as kerosene or liquid hydrogen on all stages of the vehicle.  

The Russians are also thinking about a lunar space station for their craft to dock at before decending down to the lunar surface.  Artwork is similar to Salyut or Mir in appearance.  When the lunar ascent vehile returns to the station, they leave the ascent stage on a unused docking port to expand the size of the station on every mission.  

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Ref. Russian Space Web (http://www.russianspaceweb.com/)

Russian Lunar Station ( http://www.russianspaceweb.com/los.html ).

New Russian space booster ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7946689.stm ).

Will the Shuttle ever launch again - maybe?

NASA will once again try to launch space shuttle Discovery on the latest construction trip to the ISS(International Space Station) 220 miles above Earth. Lift-off is set for 7:43pm Sunday evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The meteorologist as predicting that there will be a 80 percent chance that the weather will be suitable for launch tonight.

Problems have been plaguing this launch. One was the satellite collision last month and they had to check the debris orbits to see if it would be safe for a launch. Engineers also had to replace seals in fuel vent line. Hydrogen gas began to leak from the shuttle's fuel tank which is a potential fire hazard. While the seals were replaced, the cause for the leak is still unknown according to the reuters.com news article posted by Irene Klotz (March 15, 2009, 11:36am EDT).

NASA is up against a time schedule to avoid a conflict with a Russian Soyuz mission that will replace the station's primary crew on April 7, 2009.

This mission's cargo is the fourth and final solar power module for the U.S. section of the station. That solar panel module weighs in at 16 tones and is to complete the 11-segment exterior backbone or spine of the space station. This is to be the first of five missions to the space station this year for the space shuttle.

UPDATE: Well- Discovery managed to lift-off after all.

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Ref. reuters.com ( http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE52E09120090315 )

Space Problems and What to Do About It?

I was following a news link about how much money that NASA was getting from the Stimulus Bill when I got sidetracked to the SpaceX website. They have a pretty good animation on that page of their proposed Dragon crew capsule and a flight to the International Space Station (ISS) that you should watch. Just click on the link at the bottom to see it. Originally, I was going to write on an article on Space.com about U.S. Military, intelligence, civil and commercial space leaders coming together to urge President Barack Obama to address the problems that are plaguing the entire U.S. Space program. See that link at the bottom as well.

But getting back to the Stimulus Bill. NASA is going to be getting $400 million for exploration. Now on the SpaceX webpage, they thank Senators Mikulski and Nelson and Representative Mollohan for their support of NASA and the U.S. Commercial space transportation industry.

SpaceX had won the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (aka: COTS) program back in 2006. Recently, SpaceX demonstrated their Falcon 9 launch vehicle. First flight of a Dragon crew capsule will take place in 2009. By the end of 2010, the Dragon will make a demonstration flight and dock with the ISS. Once that is proven, SpaceX will begin operational flights to the space station thanks to being awarded the Cargo Resupply Services contract. SpaceX expects to receive between 1.6 to 3.1 billion dollars for 12 cargo flights.

Remaining hurtles for SpaceX now is to finish desiging the Dragon to NASA human rating requirements such as redundant electronics, extra structural elements for improved safety margins, and systems that can handle acceptable G-loads in all phases of flight and launch abort. On their webpage, SpaceX mentions it has designed several windows and hatches that open both inwards and outwards to ensure astronauts can exit if a pressure relief valve fails. Manned launches of the F9/Dragon combination is expected to take place by mid to late 2011.

Under current plans, the US will pay Russia $47 million per seat on a Soyuz spacecraft, for the period between the Shuttle's retirement in 2010 and the Ares/Orion system going operational by 2016. In contrast, SpaceX's F9/Dragon would run $20 million per seat. The spacecraft is totally manufactured and launched in the United States. In the end, they are projecting saving the U.S. Taxpayer nearly $2 Billion dollars.

Now we come to the plea from 'experts' worried about the United States leadership in space exploration and technology. Over on the National Space Society blog, there is a new space policy brief present by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Dr. Feng Hsu, and Dr. Ken Cox, that people need to read. Heck, I think you may need to print this out to take to work tomorrow and read it on your coffee or lunch break. That link is below as well.

This group, called the Committee for U.S. Space Leadership is worried about the U.S. Space industrial work force problems, and projected gaps in important capabilities. This nonpartisan group is hoping to get increased White House involvement on this matter. They are making broad recommendations, trying to avoid specific organizational and programmatic ones made by previous (space) panels. On a February 19, 2009 interview, Lt. General Michael Hamel, former commander of Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles said, “I think there's widespread recognition that we have serious issues and challenges across the space community. What's been a little bit different about what we've tried to advocate is although we have distinctive space sectors in military, civil, intelligence, commercial, the fact is these are all highly interconnected. Many of the problems we see in one sector are paralleled in others.”

President Obama's agenda while overburdened with economy, national security, education, energy and the environmental issues, also has space issues he wants to support.

The committee made six recommendations and they were lisited on the Space.com article on the matter. They are presented here as well.

1. Established a White House focal point, such as a National Space Council, to set priorities, provide management oversight and coordinate decisions and actions across the departments and agencies. The council should include senior White House and cabinet-level engagement.

2. Assess and mitigate potential gaps in defense, intelligence and civil space capabilities. (this is where the SpaceX article I spoke about in the beginning comes in to play I think).

3. Consider creating a Presidential Space Advisory Board, similar to the president's Intelligence Advisory Board, to provide independent advice and outreach to the space sectors and public.

4. Revise national space policy to establish a strategic direction and clear priorities, and align space programs to achieve broader national objectives.

5. Devise a strategy to achieve these space policy goals by the end of 2009.

6. Assign priority to the nation's space program by linking space activities to the president's broader priorities.

I think that this just points out two separate leads pointing towards a common end point.

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Ref. Article “Obama Urged to Tackle U.S. Space Problems” by Turner Brinton, Feb. 23, 2009. (http://www.space.com/news/090223-obama-space-system-plan.html#comments )

SpaceX web Page, ( http://www.spacex.com/cotsd.php )

National Space Society Blog article by Buzz Aldrin, (http://blog.nss.org/?p=360 )

Senator Barack Obama's Space Policy

Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has provided his most detail position yet on Space Policy. He wrote to the Democratic leadership stating that “America needs to renew its commitment to NASA and to provide sustained, stable direction with an honest budget and sufficient resources for success across all of its critical missions: human spaceflight, science, and aeronautics research.”

It was also reported that he supports the extension of the authority to buy seats on future Soyuz spaceflights for the U.S., Canadian, European, and Japanese astronauts after it suppose to end in 2011. Obama also supports funding more shuttle missions to the International Space Station and close the gap in time between the end of shuttle and first flight of the Ares/Orion system.

(Ref Sept 29, 2008 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology, Washington Outlook by John M. Doyle. )
Note: It has been reported on other news sites that Presidential candidate John McCain also has voiced his ojbections to the Manned Space Flight gap that will follow the retirement of the shuttle.