Private space transport company SpaceX has been offered its first Nasa contract to deliver a team of astronauts to to the International Space Station in 2017.
Historically, Nasa has taken charge of organising and
conducting its own missions - however, in recent years, more space
mission contracts have been given to private companies like Boeing. Tech superstar Elon Musk's SpaceX has now been given its own.
The astronauts involved in upcoming mission will be sent into space aboard SpaceX's futuristic Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011, the USA has relied on
Russia to send its astronauts to the ISS, at a high monetary cost. Now,
the task of sending Americans to space will be the responsibility of an
American company.
Boeing was also awarded a similar manned mission contract by Nasa in
May, the first in a series of four orders Nasa will make under the
Commerical Crew Transportation Capability contracts. The recent SpaceX
order was the second of these contracts.
As Nasa says, the SpaceX order "will restore America's human
spaceflight capabilities and increase the amount of time dedicated to
scientific research aboard the orbiting laboratory."
The standard mission that SpaceX and Boeing will be carrying out will
involve carrying up to four crew members and around 220lbs (100kg) of
pressurised cargo to the ISS. The crew will remain there for up to 210
days, with the spacecraft staying attached to the ISS so it can be used
as an emergency 'lifeboat' if needed.
Despite the fact that the private contracts will cost less and return
the responsibility to American hands, they have faced some criticism,
notably from legendary astronauts like Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan,
who have previously spoken out against the handing over of Nasa missions
to commercial companies.
However, their main objections, made a few years ago, were that
private contracts would prove costlier and more risky than Nasa-run
missions - but with the advances in spaceflight that companies like
Boeing and SpaceX have made, commercial space flight has become much
more feasible.
Providing Congress assigns enough funds and the companies'
spacecrafts pass the neccessary checks and inspections, the missions
will take place in late 2017.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Nasa gives SpaceX order to take American astronauts to International Space Station
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