Tag: space tourism
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Blue Origin reportedly has just a few test flights to go before people take space trips
Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith shows a video of a BE-4 rocket engine firing during the Aerospace Futures Alliance Summit in October 2018. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith has told Axios that just a few test flights remain before the space venture founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos starts putting…
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Bigelow aims to sell rides to space station on SpaceX Dragon ships for $52M a seat
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins conducts tests and replaces parts inside the International Space Station’s Bigelow Expandable Activity Module in 2016. (NASA Photo) Just days after NASA laid out its ground rules for commercial travel to the International Space Station, Nevada-based Bigelow Space Operations says it’s targeting a fare of roughly $52 million a seat for…
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NASA finally gets down to the business of commercializing space station operations
As a joke, NASA spacewalker Dale Gardner holds up a “For Sale” sign during a shuttle mission in 1984, during a time when the space shuttle fleet took on commercial satellite servicing tasks. (NASA Photo) NASA today laid out its initial batch of ground rules for future commercial activities on the International Space Station, including…
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Virgin Galactic to move remaining SpaceShipTwo test flights to New Mexico
Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo carrier jet, which hoists the company’s rocket plane aloft, pictured at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Credit: Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic will conduct the remaining test flights for the company’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocket plane from southern New Mexico after moving staff and equipment from California over the next few months, officials announced…
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Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane carries three people for first time
The SpaceShipTwo rocket plane known as VSS Unity touches down at California’s Mojave Air and Space Port after the first suborbital space test flight to have three people aboard. (Virgin Galactic Photo) Virgin Galactic followed up on last December’s first SpaceShipTwo flight past the 50-mile space milestone by sending up its first non-pilot on today’s…
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Virgin Galactic stages second piloted spaceflight
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION Virgin Galactic chief pilot Dave Mackay and co-pilot Michael “Sooch” Masucci at the controls of SpaceShipTwo during Friday’s test flight. Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor, Beth Moses, accompanied the pilots on the flight to the edge of space. Credit: Virgin Galactic Two test pilots and their instructor flew…
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Russians say they have a deal with Space Adventures to put tourists in orbit by 2021
Space Adventures facilitated two trips to the International Space Station for Seattle-area billionaire Charles Simonyi, in 2007 and 2009. (NASA Photo via Space Adventures) Russia’s space agency says it’s getting ready to resume sending private passengers to the International Space Station and back, a decade after the last space tour. A contract has been signed…
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Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson talks up spacesuits and his countdown to space trip
Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank and Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson share a moment with Nick Cienski, Under Armour’s lead spacesuit designer. (Under Armour Photo) Virgin Galactic’s billionaire founder, Richard Branson, today took the wraps off a partnership with Under Armour to create the spacesuit and the footwear that he could well be wearing on…
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New Shepard launches NASA experiments to space, aims for human flights this year
Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket lifts off from West Texas on Wednesday. Credit: Blue Origin Blue Origin, the commercial space company founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, launched a package of NASA experiments to the edge of space Wednesday from West Texas with a suborbital New Shepard booster, then successfully recovered the reusable rocket and…
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Blue Origin plans New Shepard launch Wednesday
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated Jan. 20 to reflect launch postponement. Updated Jan. 21 with new target launch date. Blue Origin’s New Shepard booster on the launch pad. Credit: Blue Origin Blue Origin plans to launch its single stage New Shepard suborbital booster Wednesday as the commercial space company moves closer to flying people to the edge…