Transportation
Introduction
Space can be explored and will be explored. But the safety of astronauts and how far people can go are based on the craft used. If there is a malfunction in a shuttle or rocket, the launch or flight will be in danger. Different companies have different crafts and this section explores them all.
Shuttles
The space shuttle is designed to be used again and again. The shuttle is attached to an external tank, which is a giant orange fuel tank, and two rocket boosters running on a propellant called PBAN. The shuttle itself, also called the orbiter, is the only part of the craft that is occupied. Upon launch, the two boosters fall away from the external tank to float back to Earth on parachutes, and minutes later the tank detaches from the orbiter (or shuttle) and burns up in the atmosphere. When the shuttle returns to earth from orbit, it lands much like a glider.
Program Transportation
A company called SpaceX, sponsored by Elon Musk, has a craft called Falcon 9. The first test of the former Falcon 1 had two delays before it launched successfully. The second test for Falcon 1 was delayed once before the shuttle launched. The third flight for the Falcon 1 will be to carry a research lab. The launch was scheduled for 2006, and was supposed to carry memorial capsules. In the capsules were the ashes of famous astronauts like Gordon Cooper as well as those of a Star Trek actor. But the Memorial Company found another craft and used that instead. Falcon 9 is capable of lifting heavy payloads. There was going to be a Falcon 5 as a bridge between Falcon 1 and 9, but that plan was abandoned so work on Falcon 9 would not be disrupted. SpaceX also has a new Dragon program where a capsule called the Dragon will be launched with the Falcon 9. It could carry 7 people and luggage up to space.
Space Adventures, a private space exploration company, uses the Russian space vehicle, the Soyuz, to shuttle tourists into space.. Space Adventures is basically renting the Soyuz and using it for giving tourists rides into space and to the International Space Station. In return the Russian Space Agency gets part of the money paid for a ride. Previously the Soyuz was used by the Soviet Union, and was first launched in 1967.. Before that the Soyuz made several unmanned launches.
Virgin Galactic uses a craft based on SpaceShipOne, which was made by Scaled Composites, another private space exploration company. Right now the two companies are working on creating a larger and better equipped space craft called SpaceShipTwo. Working with Scaled Composites, Virgin Galactic succeeded in making SpaceShipTwo in January 2008. The craft must undergo 50 space tests now. The goal for SpaceShipTwo is to send tourists up to space where they can experience six minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth. The first flight of SpaceShipOne is planned for 2009. SpaceShipTwo would fly higher than SpaceShipOne but generally be like it. On landing it would fold its wings up and touch down.
Scaled Composites made SpaceShipOne to win an X-prize competition, which they did win. SpaceShipOne was funded by Paul Allen and made its first flight in December 2003.
In a way a lot of companies have a single craft they use to do most of the work. Scaled Composite’s is SpaceShipOne, Space Adventure’s is the Soyuz, and Virgin Galactic’s is SpaceShipTwo. Many different companies use different crafts and there are still many more crafts to be invented.