The race between Space X and Virgin Galactic for space tourism has reached a new milestone, with a Virgin Galactic tourism rocket ship reaching the edge of space in a test flight.
Palo Alto -
Not a bad bit of pocket money for a decade, you say? Elon Musk is perhaps the easiest target on Earth for critics, and this pay deal is likely fodder for more criticism, but – What if he’s worth it?
Sydney -
Elon Musk has gone against prevailing wisdom with a statement that a working Mars colony with large numbers of colonists. The current thinking is that the technical difficulties have to be solved first. That thinking is also pretty turgid and negative.
Richard Banson's claims about Virgin Galatic and space missions seem as far away as ever. This hasn't stopped the British billionaire from launching a new project.
From Space X successfully landing a rocket on a floating platform to NASA's Juno probe reaching Jupiter after a journey of 1.8 billion miles, 2016 has been a year of many accomplishments in the space industry. Let's look at a few of the stories.
Even though Space X successfully launched its Dragon spacecraft and brought back its Falcon 9 first-stage booster rocket to a safe landing on Monday, Space X now wants two more landing sites so it can do three rocket landings simultaneously.
Space X is on a roll with its launch of the Falcon 9 rocket early Monday, sending its robotic Dragon spacecraft speeding toward the International Space Station (ISS) with a critical space station docking port.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will soon have their own same day delivery service, courtesy of the soon to be developed Terrestrial Return Vehicle.
Human colonies on planets other than Earth may not be nothing more than a science fiction movie plot, at least not if Elon Musk's plans to establish a 80,000 person Mars colony is successful.
Cape Canaveral -
While most who watched a live feed of Sunday night’s American Falcon 9 launch didn’t notice, one of the space craft’s nine main engines seemed to blow up.
If you didn't think it would be possible in your lifetime to take a ride through the universe, you might need to think this one over again: a private space flight is scheduled for early May.
Looking north along Missile Row on Florida's Space Coast.
Cape Canaveral AFB
Looking north along Missile Row on Florida's Space Coast.
Cape Canaveral AFB
Comparison of launch vehicles and size of payload to low Earth orbit (LEO).
Space X
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a small science satellite for Canada is seen as it is launched from a newly refurbished launch pad in Vandenberg Air Force Station
With permission by Reuters / Gene Blevins
Space X is requesting two additional landing sites for its Falcon Heavy.
Space X
Looking north along Missile Row on Florida's Space Coast.
