Monday, April 22, 2013

S is for SpaceX


Now That's A Rocket!!!
Yes folks, private industry is nipping on the heals of government space programs like NASA. 

Case in point: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX - is run by billionaire Elon Musk, who made his fortune as a co-creator of PayPal. He also owns the electric car maker Tesla Motors.


In May of last year, SpaceX made history as the world's first privately held company to send a cargo payload, carried on the Dragon spacecraft, to the International Space Station. 

Last March, the capsule brought back more than 1 ton of science experiments and old station equipment. It's the only supply ship capable of two-way delivery. NASA is paying SpaceX more than $1 billion for a dozen resupply missions. Space X can reuse their 
Docking With International Space Station

SpaceX has signed contracts with private sector companies, non-American government agencies and the American military for its launch services. It has already launched, for a paying customer, a low earth orbiting satellite with its Falcon 1 booster in 2009. The company plans to launch its first commercial geostationary satellite in 2013 from a Falcon 9.

Musk has stated that his intention for the company is to help in the creation of a permanent human presence on Mars.

How's that for vision! 

I have more on this company in upcoming posts. Folks, we are on the verge of truly remarkable breakthroughs and discoveries led by the private and the public sector.


Here's a fun short video clip (with a really cool song). This is pretty darn amazing! 


10 comments:

  1. Loved the song and the video, great start to my Monday morning.

    Yvonne.

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  2. I wrote about the dragon a while back. I am fascinated that private enterprise is going forward so fast.

    Love Johnny Cash.

    JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

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  3. It must be just amazing to be standing next to that rocket.

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  4. If you have the cash, he has the rocket!

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  5. Totally amazing! I'd heard this story before, but didn't know it was the PayPal guy. How cool is that? Even before the video started, I'd guessed the song. Sounds like I may end up on Mars anyway...sigh.

    Tina @ Life is Good
    Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
    @TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

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  6. I didn't realize they were doing so many launches already.

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  7. There was another private launch today in Virginia by Orbital Sciences Corporation. They are happening with much more frequency now. And not just in the U.S.

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  8. It will be interesting to see what comes next with private space exploration. I didn't even know they were already doing these launches!

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  9. Yep, pretty amazing. Had no idea they were already involved in sending rockets to the space station. Thought it was all down to the Russians now.

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