DailyDirt: Racing Into Space Again...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

After the Cold War ended, the space race enthusiasm evaporated as the funding for ambitious projects to explore space dried up. Launching dozens of satellites into space to form communications networks was (and still is) a risky business -- with a lot of upfront costs and a lot of equipment that's nearly obsolete by the time it reaches orbit. But it's becoming a bit cheaper to get stuff into space, and maybe we're seeing a bit more of a commercial space race. Check out a few of these space-bound projects. After you've finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.
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Filed Under: cosmodrome, iridium, mars, satellites, sls, space, space exploration, space launch system, space port, tom markusic
Companies: firefly space systems, nasa, vector space systems


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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2016 @ 6:17pm

    recycling old satellites?!?

    doubt it's worth the effort unless we're just learning something about how to push stuff around with solar-powered thrusters.......

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Roger Strong (profile), 29 Jun 2016 @ 7:24am

    >Someday, NASA's SLS could take people to Mars...

    But not this SLS. SLS Block 2 is the Saturn-V-class launcher for the Mars missions. It's planned for some time in the 2030s and would have a new generation of engines on the first stage, a different second stage, and even the SRBs they're testing now would be replaced.

    Development costs for a rocket like SLS are massive. The key is to amortize those costs over many launches.

    SLS Block 1 has one (1) launch planned: The initial test launch.

    SLS Block 1a (different upper stage) has two (2) launches planned: Europa Clipper and the first manned test.

    Don't hold your breath for Block 2.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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