In this interview with Moonandback, Chairman of the U.S. Rocket Academy Edward Wright discusses the future of commercial spaceflight and how it may mirror the development of commercial aviation, and the coming of a new “jet set,” Edward Wright 03 from Moonandback Media on Vimeo. moonandbackWe are a magazine-style web site devoted to the coverage of space, with an [...]
Post Tagged with: “Commercial Spaceflight”
Are You Healthy Enough for Commercial Spaceflight?
None of the private space companies planning to offer commercial human space flight opportunities have started their operations yet, however, discussion has been going on regarding the medical constraints limiting the possibilities of an individual to join either a suborbital or orbital space trip. So far it seems that authorities would prefer less strict medical requirements in order not to [...]
Federal Aviation Administration to Hold Talks With Commercial Space
The US Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) is charged with registering and regulating commercial spaceflight. When it comes to commercial crew ventures, such as the plethora of suborbital tourism companies that have sprung up across the US, AST has been charged with a hands-off role. Taking a watch and learn approach, AST is merely responsible for [...]
NASA/FAA Agreement May Strengthen NASA Influence on Spaceflight Safety
On June 18, NASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an agreement to align commercial spaceflight requirements between the two agencies and to clarify which agency governs under what circumstances. The announcement follows from a memorandum of understanding signed by the agencies on June 4 that lays our rough working guidelines for the collaboration. The industry tradegroup Commercial [...]
ISS Crew Sends Greeting to SpaceX
On the afternoon of June 7, NASA’s Johnson Space Center tweeted the following image with the message “Looks like the astronauts left a little surprise inside Dragon after it left the station.” The greeting was presumably left inside the empty Dragon capsule before it left the International Space Station for its return to Earth on May 31. ISS crew had [...]
Dragon Capsule in Los Angeles
On June 5, the barge carrying the returned SpaceX Dragon capsule arrived in the port of Los Angeles, California, where the capsule was lifted off. Dragon will be transported to SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas facility for analysis and refurbishment. Staff WritersMore Posts
NASA Commercial Partner SpaceX Completes Crew Accommodations Milestone
Source: NASA. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., May 8, 2012 (NASA PR) — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has finished an important evaluation of a prototype Dragon spacecraft designed to carry people into orbit. This key milestone is part of SpaceX’s partnership with NASA under a funded Space Act Agreement to advance the design of crew transportation vehicles. The primary goal of the [...]
Commercial Space Transportation’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request
Source: House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Good morning and welcome to today’s hearing on the President’s 2013 budget request for the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation. I want to thank our witnesses, Dr. George Nield and Cpt. Wilbur Trafton, for joining us. I know that many people put in a lot of effort preparing for these hearings, and [...]
US Congressional Members Critical of NASA Budget Proposal
On March 7, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden testified before the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the US House’s Science, Space, and Technology committee, regarding the FY 2013 budget proposal. Despite the difference in audiences, both committees’ expressed concern, not on how much NASA was requesting, but on which programs NASA was prioritizing. For FY2013 President Obama’s [...]
NASA Scientist Wins a Trip On The Lynx
Thomas Goodwin, a physiology and bioengineering researcher at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, won a free suborbital flight aboard XCOR’s experimental Lynx vehicle. Goodwin’s name was randomly selected during the 2012 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC) on February 27th. “I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to accept this” Goodwin said “I’m very surprised.” Attendees to [...]
