Rocketry Planet

The May/June 08 issue of LAUNCH Magazine available now.

NEW YORK, New York USA — In an interview with LAUNCH Magazine, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) founder Elon Musk says his company can solve NASA's upcoming space gap. "I believe we will be able to do crew flights in 2011," Musk tells LAUNCH in the new May/June issue.

That would effectively help solve NASA's manned spaceflight dilemma following retirement of the space shuttle fleet in late 2010. It could be five years or more before NASA's Orion spacecraft and Ares I booster are flight ready.

Musk, co-founder of PayPal and CEO of SpaceX, says his firm is already designing their Dragon spacecraft for manned missions in addition to cargo resupply flights to the International Space Station.

Also in the May/June issue of LAUNCH:

• An interview with Bill Stine, founder of Quest Aerospace and heir to a hobby rocketry legacy.
• Space Modeling columnist Mario Perdue turns his attention to the upcoming Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. The result: Two 1/70th-scale kits that fly.
• A report card on the space shuttle program as it nears retirement.
• A preview of Discovery Channel's upcoming "When We Left Earth" television series, celebrating NASA's first 50 years.
• Photos from NASA's University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) and Student Launch Initiative (SLI) held in April and hosted by the Marshall Space Flight Center and the Huntsville Area Rocketry Association.
• Writer Ben Bova examines the concern over weapons in space.
• And much more!

To subscribe to LAUNCH, visit http://www.launchmagonline.com.

Reader comments:

#1 Re: Launch Magazine explores a solution to the space gap

It will be extremely difficult for SpaceX to be certified for manned space flight in 3 years. Out of all the new start-up companies that have talked about achieving orbital transport capability, SpaceX has demonstrated the most success, however, they still have significant milestones ahead of them. I wish them continued success. Nevertheless, it is the duty of top management to project optimism and to create enthusiasm and opportunity. Out of all the missile programs in the U.S. the manned space flight requires the most review and certification. Things that are accepted for strategic missile programs are not accepted for manned space flight programs.

aerostadt on 06-11-2008 11:55 AM

#2 Re: Launch Magazine explores a solution to the space gap

It's good to know SOMEBODY is working toward alternative means of space travel. Do I believe they'll be flying manned missions in 2011?? Not for one red second, but it's good that they're trying...

NASA's Ares I has grown into such a problem child it may never fly at all. Every time they solve a problem on it three more crop up. Not a good way to fly. Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try to hammer a square peg in a round hole, it'll just never be a good fit. Not that you CAN'T do it, with a big enough hammer you can do anything, but that doesn't make it a good operation...

I wish the commercial guys all the luck in the world, but I want to see RESULTS before I'm convinced it's anything more than pie in the sky. Of course I'd like to see NASA quit fumbling the ball on every play too, and we all know how likely that is to change...

OL JR

luke strawwalker on 06-11-2008 08:18 PM

#3 Re: Launch Magazine explores a solution to the space gap

If there was a need for an interim solution, Delta, Atlas or Vostok could deliver it with zero development cost.

This is a sales pitch for a clearly unproven system.

Jerry

Just Jerry on 06-11-2008 09:59 PM

#4 Re: Launch Magazine explores a solution to the space gap

I will believe Space-X boasting when I see man-rated hardware on the pad. For now, it is just Florida based bull!

Astrosaint on 06-17-2008 06:38 PM

#5 Re: Launch Magazine explores a solution to the space gap

The term "man rated" is losing it's meaning when NASA decided to put a crew on top of a segmented solid for it's next generation manned booster.

There is no reason why a private company cannot do a better job than NASA. If SpaceX or anyone else proves it has a reliable system over multiple launches, and the private astronaut is aware of the risks, there's no reason not to approve the flight. Unless, of course, the major aero contractors and NASA pull some strings to prevent it. In the meantime, non-US companies will provide the service while yet another industry leaves the US.

jsdemar on 06-17-2008 07:35 PM

#6 Re: Launch Magazine explores a solution to the space gap

Quote:

The term "man rated" is losing it's meaning when NASA decided to put a crew on top of a segmented solid for it's next generation manned booster.

I'm going to call BS on that. They are using "proven" shuttle SRB hardware with minimal mods.

Sorry!

Just Jerry

Just Jerry on 06-17-2008 11:21 PM

#7 Re: Launch Magazine explores a solution to the space gap

"On top of" was touted as safer than "alongside of", the configuration of the shuttle.

Steve_Shannon on 06-18-2008 01:48 AM

#8 Re: Launch Magazine explores a solution to the space gap

Exactly, "on top of" eliminates the close proximity of 3 major components, the SRB's, the ET, and the Orbiter, that have different missions and different operating ranges. Both Shuttle catastrophes were caused by the extreme cold ET temperatures that produced the detrimental effects on the other 2 major components. The Vostok and Soyuz have their lower cryogenic tankage in parallel staging next to each other and incompatibility is not a problem. The orbital capsule is moved to the top of the stack and away from the falling debris field, which is now what the U.S. is returning to.

The review process for a "manned" shuttle program is significantly more rigorous than a non-manned program (not that mistakes still don't happen). Ask anyone who has worked on these 2 types of programs for over 20 years. It is my understanding that one of the reasons that Space-X is not moving as fast now as they were before is because they are now trying to comply with NASA requirements and regulations for commericial flight.

Bob

aerostadt on 06-18-2008 09:42 AM

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