Top Private Sector Comp. For Space Travel

With all the talk of Virgin Galactic for space tourism, and Bigelow making "modular" space stations, the private sector seems to be getting as much attention as NASA.

In my opinion, the space shuttle is far out of date. Using the private sector for space "taxis" is a great step.

There are quite a few companies out there, maybe more than you would imagine.


Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif.

Run by PayPal founder Elon Musk, this company has already built and tested a private rocket, Falcon, and has a capsule, Dragon. It already has a demonstration contract for private cargo with NASA. It is considered a leader in the field and has connections with Google.

Website:Spacex.com


Boeing Co. of Chicago and Bigelow Aerospace of Las Vegas.

An interesting pairing. Boeing is one of the oldest companies in aerospace with corporate history going back to Mercury missions. Bigelow is a pioneer in the private space business that is developing a commercial space station/hotel. Boeing has its own much-launched rocket family, the Delta, and also is partners with Lockheed Martin Corp. in a firm that launches Delta and Atlas rockets.

Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev.

A high-tech government contractor that recently bought one of the early private space firms, SpaceDev Inc.

Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va.

One of the first private space companies. It has its own in-use rocket family, Taurus, which launches from Wallops Island, Va. It also has a demonstration contract for private cargo with NASA.

Lockheed Martin Corp. of Bethesda, Md., or as part of United Launch Alliance of Denver.

Lockheed Martin had been building the capsule for NASA's moon mission that is being canceled. It is an aerospace giant with a long history in manned space and has its own family of decades-old rockets, the Atlas. It could compete on its own or as part of the United Launch Alliance, which is a joint venture with Boeing that launches unmanned commercial rockets.

Original source here:Click


It seems that if they make planes, they make all kinds of other stuff that flies as well.

With NASA being put on the backburner with recent projects, do you think it is possible that some of these companies will begin to sponsor missions?

Anyways, I thought it would be cool to share.

Interesting.

Virgin Galactic having all ready started space tourism
are now researching on cheaper ways to explore space
now if they accomplish this and find a very cheaper way
for space exploration i think we would advance in ways
we cant imagine, i mean the only big problem is the large
costs of launching a mission into space.


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