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2013 Will Be a Big Year For Private Spaceflight

Posted by Soulskill on from the rocket-and-roll dept.

An article at Space.com forecasts an important year for private space companies in 2013. SpaceX is working on a new version of its Dragon capsule that is quite different from the current model. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that the first iteration looked similar to other space capsules because the SpaceX team was learning as they went. Now, they're drawing on the expertise they've gained to tailor the new capsule to their needs. "Musk described Dragon version 2 as having 'legs that pop out' and added that it uses parachutes and its eight SuperDraco thrusters for a 'propulsive landing.'" The capsule will hold up to seven people, and they hope to win a crew transportation contract for getting NASA astronauts up to the ISS. The bidding for that contract starts in the second half of 2013. Commercial space planes are also set to reach new heights in 2013. XCOR Aerospace will be building its Lynx I rocket plane, and a spokesman said, "we’ll be doing test fights throughout the year from early 2013 and then go into commercial flights." Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo will also undergo its first rocket-powered flight this year.

5 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Wait. by Andy+Prough · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought it was the year of the Linux Desktop. What the hell? We're all going to space instead of installing Ubuntu this year???

    1. Re:Wait. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ubuntu has fallen from grace, thus we go to space...

    2. Re:Wait. by PeterBrett · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Some guys down the corridor from me are literally using a Makerbot to fabricate flight components for prototype satellite plasma thrusters.

      --
      Pirate Party UK
  2. No, no, you're mistaken. by DavidClarkeHR · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought it was the year of the Linux Desktop. What the hell? We're all going to space instead of installing Ubuntu this year???

    Sorry, Year of the linux desktop was 2003-2007, and 2009. 2010, 2012-2014 are designated as the year of the private spaceflight.

    2008 was year of the end of going to war all the time in the USA and 2011 was year of waiting for Duke Nukem Forever and then trying to forget it ever existed.

    --
    - Nec Impar Pluribus, or so I'm told.
  3. Go by VortexCortex · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It is important for the nerds here to have a circle-jerk over private space travel - From both design and commercial passenger perspectives, private air travel was also once only a hobby for the rich who have nothing else to do, kinda like how back then Roosevelt ran for president and lost against Woodrow Wilson. Some people run for president, some design flying machines, and some pay hundreds of thousands of dollars a pop to ride in those airplanes. This reinventing and monetizing the wheel has all happened before and it was revolutionary, not nearly as profound as colonization, but it made all far off places accessible to reach from anywhere, thus hastening immigration to said colonies, and also Air Mail Happened!

    All while the 1900's era kids were eating newfangled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches for dinner and parents were wondering how they were gonna pay for one of Ford's new "affordable" automobiles and next month's rent.

    Crazy how only one century ago travel by automobile or air was something only the rich could do... How silly a nay sayer like yourself would seem to us now, but back then some might have foolishly considered such sentiments insightful. Today we're talking about doing the same for space, and you're less excited than Sam-I-am prior to having tried green space eggs and ham.