Cosmos: what to expect in 2013. Private traders

A small note about what to expect and which projects of the space industry should be followed this year. Since this area is now developing quite actively, it is quite difficult to fit all the upcoming events in one article. Therefore, I decided to break it into several parts. The first part talks about private (non-state) companies that are involved in space.


')

Nova 2

Starchaser Industries is developing a spacecraft for tourism, codenamed Thunderstar, approaching this project from 2 sides - the development of a prototype Skybolt rocket and a reusable capsule with passengers. So, the second part should be run in on the Nova 2, the largest British rocket built (about 17 meters in height). The capsule is 2-seater - the pilot and the navigator, and for the first launch, the navigator's place is played among ordinary people. The launch was scheduled to take place in September 2012, but, alas, did not work out, and now Steve Bennet (the company's founder) is hoping for a flight in 2013.

Dream chaser

Dream Chaser is a shutter-like device (vertical takeoff, horizontal landing) for delivering people (up to 7 people at a time) and cargo to orbit, and specifically to the ISS, for so far there are no other objects for life. The launch vehicle is used not its own, as in Space X, but the standard Atlas V. It can return to almost any airport. NASA is actively sponsoring private companies, and last year, for example, they issued more than $ 200 million to Sierra Nevada. In the first half of 2013, suborbital rocket tests are planned. Orbital in 2014, and commercial operation - 2016.

SpaceShipTwo

The second generation of suborbital ships from Virgin Galactic. It is launched from the already flying mother ship (WhiteKnightTwo) from a height of about 15 km and reaches space at a point about 110 km from the earth. 2 crew members and 6 tourists (and this is exactly a tourist trip, because there is little practical sense in flight) enjoy a short flight in space and not a particularly pleasant descent. Despite this, nearly a thousand tickets have already been sold for $ 200,000. In December, the first flight was made with mounted engines (before that there were 22 flights "light"), and although the engines were planned off and the plane did not gain altitude, but simply planned, rather optimistic forecasts about the first passenger flights at the end of this year sound.

Cygnus

Another means of cargo delivery (but not people!) To the ISS. NASA, as it is known, seeks to move to commercial flights and get rid of dependence on our country. This unit is another step along the way. Practically Orbital Sciences Corporation is a competitor of SpaceX. And they also use their own booster (Antares). Actually this year a very rich program is planned - in February, the first launch of the rocket, in March the first Cygnus cargo delivery mission (550kg) to the ISS, then another 3 full-time flights to the ISS, and during these 4 flights there will be a consistent development of Antares. from 3 stages, with the evolution of the second stage - Castor 30A -> Castor 30B -> Castor 30XL.

Spacex

Probably the most famous private space project. SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk (the creator of PayPal) and in 2012 made the first commercial delivery of cargo to the ISS. In addition to the Dragon spacecraft itself, Falcon launch vehicles are being developed, designed to significantly reduce the cost of outputting payloads to space. In 2013, 2 flights to the ISS are scheduled - in March and in September. In addition to orders, NASA SpaceX is going to do work from the side. In particular, this year there will be 3 clients other than NASA - the Canadian Space Agency, satellite operators SES and Orbcomm. As launches, modifications of the launch vehicle will take place, such as switching to the new Merlin 1D engine, modification of the first stage, separation of the fuel tanks. In addition, there will be a very important stage for the company - the test launch of Falcon Heavy. A new heavy rocket capable of delivering up to 53 tons to LEO (instead of the current 9 for the Falcon 9), the third stage (boosters) and the transition to new engines (just the Merlin 1D, which has already passed separate tests) is added to the rocket design. In addition, the next stage will be made in the direction of departure from our Unions - modification of the capsule (the Dragon spacecraft itself) to ensure the safe flight of people, and although in 2013 the development of these systems will only be carried out, it will be curious enough to watch this. The first complete (with emulation of the return of the crew to Earth) tests are possible only in the spring of 2014.

Lynx

Suborbital spacecraft, which theoretically will fight for customers with SpaceShipTwo. Structurally, it differs quite strongly from the development of Virgin Galactic and is similar to modern aircraft - horizontal take-off and gradual climb (though starting from a certain height, the flight becomes more vertical, which is somewhat different from aircraft) and the horizontal landing at a standard airport. It is planned to 4 flights a day on one machine. The price for a passenger seat is relatively low - $ 95,000, and besides you in the device there will be only a pilot. In addition, Lynx is able to deliver small satellites into orbit. Although, frankly, it is a little incomprehensible what these satellites are at 100 km altitude. All this happiness will be available to ordinary people in 2014, but this will be complete tests of all systems and test flights.

Excalibur almaz

Our response bourgeois private companies. Despite the fact that it is registered on the Isle of Man, and that the entire management is American, the Russian participation in the work of the company is enormous. At least because the ship is being developed on the basis of our TKS (70th, 80th). The purpose of the development is space tourism. But there is a rather big advantage here - unlike Lynx or SpaceShipTwo, the spacecraft is planned to launch at rather high orbits, rather than provide suborbital flights. Accordingly, the flight time will not be half an hour, but at least a month. The development began not so long ago (the foundation date of the joint venture was 2005), but the Napoleonic plans are to launch the first tourist flights this year, then build their station from units similar to the MKS and ISS units, and in 2015 they will offer tourists to fly around The moon

ARCA

Another large category of space private development in addition to tourism and contracts with NASA is Google Lunar X Prize - a competition in the design of the lunar rover (and the landing module, of course), which would successfully sit down, train and send beautiful photos. Those who perform this program first will receive $ 20 million. Our Selenohod, which for some reason was mocked in one of Habr's topics, participates in this competition. So, ARCA is one of the participants, and it is quite serious and develops all related devices independently (unlike the Selenokhod and many others). It is also important that all technologies do not revolve around the same prize, but are applicable in other areas of the space business. And this year, ARCA plans to win the Google Lunar X Prize. For this, 4 components will be brought together - HAAS II, a three-stage rocket, which will deliver the moon rover to the Moon; IAR-111, the aircraft, starting and landing on the water, which must deliver HAAS II to an altitude of 16 kilometers, and from there start the main space carrier (waiting first for a simple manned test, and then with the launch of HAAS II into orbit); Executor engine, which is used for both IAR 111 and Haas (tested on the stand, waiting to be tested on the Haas 2C, test rocket); actually moonwalker itself. All this looks quite shaky, but many also thought about sky crane, which worked fine. So this is another project to follow.

PS: those who vote for the third option (about the private project X), indicate in the comments which project attracted attention.