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Home , Anousheh Ansari, Axiom Space, Charles Simonyi, Dennis Tito

The Era of Accessible Private

Given Commercial Crew's apparent success, NASA is also hoping to use this model for private as well. In February 2020, , Inc., a - based company founded in 1998 by the American entrepreneur Crew Dragon, SpaceX’s Next- and aerospace engineer Eric C. Anderson, signed a deal Generation with SpaceX, announcing its is a two-stage engines and aluminum- the release and separation plans to fly private citizens rocket designed and lithium alloy tanks system. Falcon 9 uses into on the Crew Dragon. manufactured by SpaceX containing liquid oxygen an all-pneumatic stage Under the agreement, Space for the reliable and safe and rocket-grade kerosene separation system (a Adventures will use the transport of and (RP-1) propellant. After highly reliable separation SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the Dragon spacecraft ignition, a hold before- that can be tested on the fly up to four passengers to into orbit. Falcon 9 is the release system ensures ground) for low shock, unlike Earth orbit on a standalone first orbital-class rocket that all engines are verified pyrotechnic systems used mission aboard a Crew capable of reflight. for full-thrust performance on most launch vehicles. Dragon spacecraft in late before the rocket is released Falcon 9 is equipped with 2021 or 2022. The mission Falcon 9 made history in for flight. Then, with thrust an Autonomous Flight would not dock with the 2012 when it delivered greater than five 747s at full Termination System to be but would Dragon into the correct power, the Merlin engines used in the unlikely event instead fly into an orbit orbit for rendezvous with launch the rocket to space. that the rocket drifts that could reach an altitude the International Space Unlike airplanes, a rocket's off course or becomes two-to-three times higher Station, making SpaceX the thrust actually increases unresponsive. Carbon than the International first commercial company with altitude; Falcon 9 fiber landing legs and Space Station. Space to visit the station. Since generates more than 1.7 hypersonic grid fins, all Adventures offers various then, Falcon 9 has made million pounds of thrust at stowed during ascent, are programs such as Orbital numerous trips to space, sea level but produces over two of the critical elements spaceflight missions to the delivering satellites to 1.8 million pounds of thrust essential to ensure safe and International Space Station, orbit as well as delivering in the vacuum of space. successful landing of the Circumlunar missions around and returning cargo from The first-stage engines Falcon 9 first stage. the Moon, zero gravity the space station for NASA. are gradually throttled near flights, cosmonaut training Falcon 9, along with the Technical Overview: the end of the first-stage programs, spaceflight Dragon spacecraft, was • Height: 70 meters or flight to limit qualification programs, designed from the outset to 229.6 feet acceleration as the rocket's and reservations on future deliver humans into space, • Mass: 549,054 mass decreases with the kilograms or 1,207,920 suborbital spacecraft. To and under an agreement burning of fuel. pounds date, Space Adventures has with NASA, SpaceX is • Payload to Low Earth arranged eight orbital trips actively working toward The interstage is a Orbit: 22,800 kilograms to the International Space this goal. composite structure that or 50,265 pounds Station for seven wealthy connects the first and • Diameter: 3.7 meters or Falcon 9's first stage 12 feet customers, businessman second stages and holds incorporates nine Merlin in 2001, South

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African entrepreneur Mark of 2021, will allow the crew mainly of former NASA transition to a sustainable Shuttleworth in 2002, to live aboard the ISS and employees. As NASA low-Earth orbit economy American entrepreneurs experience at least eight shifts in which NASA is one of Greg Olsen in 2005, days of microgravity and aspirations beyond low many customers. Next, in 2006, views of Earth that can Earth orbit, Axiom's goal is NASA and Axiom will begin co-founder only be fully appreciated in to create the commercial negotiations on the terms (twice) in the large, venerable station. infrastructure necessary and price of a firm-fixed- 2007 and 2009, computer The crew will be selected to push humanity forward price contract with a five- game developer Richard and trained by Axiom, in space. The company year base performance Garriott in 2008, and lastly with SpaceX providing outlines broad commercial period and a two-year Cirque du Soleil founder the taxi service. Axiom activities, including human option. Guy Laliberte in 2009. Space, Inc. is an American spaceflight for national Developing commercial privately funded aerospace and private , SpaceX's Crew Dragon is destinations in low-Earth manufacturer and orbital in- and also expected to be used to orbit is one of five elements spaceflight services manufacturing, and space shuttle tourists to and from of NASA's plan to open the company headquartered exploration support. In 2020, 's planned International Space Station in , . Founded NASA awarded Axiom a space station. SpaceX has to new commercial and in 2016 by the previous $140 million contract on 28 signed a contract with marketing opportunities. program manager for February 2020, to provide Houston-based space NASA's five-point plan the International Space at least one habitable startup, Axiom Space, addresses both the supply- Station from 2005-2015, commercial module to be to ferry four astronauts, side and demand-side for Michael T. Suffredini, the attached to the ISS as the including a commander a new economy, enabling company plans commercial agency continues to open professionally trained by the use of government missions in late 2021 to the the station for commercial Axiom alongside three resources for commercial International Space Station use. The module will connect private astronauts to and activities, creating the (ISS) and aims to own and to the space station's from the International opportunity for private operate the world's first Node 2 forward port to Space Station. The missions to the commercial space station. demonstrate its ability mission, set to launch as space station, enabling The company's leadership to provide products and soon as the second half commercial destinations in team is composed services and begin the

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low-Earth orbit, identifying 30 days on the International and pursuing activities Space Station. Considering that foster new and the market demand, emerging markets, and the agency intends to quantifying NASA's long- accommodate up to two term demand for activities short-duration private in low-Earth orbit. Through astronaut missions per year these combined efforts, to the International Space NASA aims to meet its Station. These missions Launch Complex 39A long-term needs in low- will be privately funded, Launch Complex 39A (LC- is used to move the Crew Earth orbit well beyond dedicated commercial 39A) was initially built for Dragon spacecraft to the top the International Space spaceflights that will use a the Apollo/Saturn V rockets of the Falcon 9 rocket on the Station's life. The agency’s U.S. spacecraft developed that launched American launchpad. Standing 212 feet ultimate goal in low-Earth under NASA’s Commercial astronauts on their historic high—more than 20 stories— orbit is to partner with Crew Program. journeys to the Moon and the TE moves launch-ready industry to achieve a strong From a broader perspective, back. Since the late 1960s, rockets and spacecraft from ecosystem in which NASA the industry implications Pads A and B at Kennedy the processing hangar at the is one of many customers of commercial space Space Center's Launch base of the pad up to the pad purchasing services and travel remain various Complex 39 have served surface and into a vertical capabilities at a lower cost. and promising. Demand as backdrops for America's position over the flame More than 50 companies for space travel among most significant human trench. The TE is a much larger are already conducting those that can afford it spaceflight endeavors— and stronger version of the commercial research and may rise significantly as Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-, erector the company uses at development on the space barriers to entry decline. and the space shuttle. Complex 40 station via the International Moreover, the development and is used to process and Space Station U.S. National In 2014, of new spacecraft will launch Falcon Heavy rockets. Laboratory. NASA has also Services, or SpaceX, signed encourage growth within worked with ten different a property agreement with The first SpaceX launch the manufacturing sector companies to install NASA for use and operation from LC-39A was SpaceX's because of the vast supply more than 14 commercial of LC-39A for 20 years, part 10th Commercial Resupply chains in spacecraft facilities on the station of Kennedy Space Center's Services mission to the manufacturing. For the that support research and transition to a multiuser International Space Station, space economy to take development projects for . SpaceX modified known as CRS-10. The launch off, countries will also need NASA and the ISS National LC-39A to adapt it to the on Falcon 9 took place on to put regulations in place Lab. This effort is intended needs of the company's February 19, 2017 and carried that ensure safety and to broaden the scope of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy supplies and research to the reliability in many areas, commercial activity on the rockets. SpaceX constructed space station. Since then, including vehicle safety space station beyond the a Horizontal Integration CRS-11 and CRS-12 have and debris mitigation. In ISS National Lab mandate, Facility near the pad's also launched from LC-39A. the future of space tourism, which is limited to research perimeter where rockets are SpaceX will use LC-39A for its the commercial space travel and development. NASA processed for launch prior to Crew Dragon missions to the industry has unbounded aims to enable commercial rollout to the pad for liftoff. International Space Station. potential. However, whether manufacturing and The Transporter Erector (TE) SpaceX or anybody else production and allow can offer orbital flight for both NASA and private humans at a price that astronauts to conduct can actually yield a profit, new commercial activities SpaceX’s crew launch brings aboard the orbiting humanity closer towards laboratory. Additionally, the viability of accessible NASA plans to allow private commercial space travel. astronaut missions of up to

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