NASA may have shuttered its Space Shuttle program, but we knew that wasn’t the end of manned American trips to space. Today, NASA shelled out 1.1 billion dollars to three private firms who have been working on spacecrafts of their own: Boeing, Sierra, and SpaceX. More »
NASA is pumping more than $1.1bn into three commercial space flight companies, including SpaceX, as part of its Commercial Crew Program. Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada Corporation will together share a new bounty to help explore reusable space craft that can put astronauts into Earth orbit, with the goal being crewed orbital demonstration missions by the middle of this decade.
Boeing takes away the biggest purse, with $460m, while SpaceX is shortly behind with $440. Sierra Nevada grabs $212.5m. All three companies will need to demonstrate that their craft can meet NASA’s full mission safety requirements, with certification expected to take place in a future phase of the program.
“NASA will build on its rich human spaceflight history by investing in commercial development of fully integrated crew transportation system designs under the next round of funded SAAs, Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap)” NASA
NASA’s three selected partners narrows the field down from seven in the previous round, which together shared a $50m bounty. SpaceX is the furthest along so far, having already managed to dock its unmanned Dragon capsule with the International Space Station earlier this year.
“This is a decisive milestone in human spaceflight and sets an exciting course for the next phase of American space exploration,” SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk said in a statement today. “SpaceX, along with our partners at NASA, will continue to push the boundaries of space technology to develop the safest, most advanced crew vehicle ever flown.”
Musk says that SpaceX aims to undertake a manned flight by 2015, outfitting Dragon with seats for seven astronauts and “the most technically advanced launch escape system ever developed” that will include abort possibilities whether on the launch pad or in orbit. There will also be a propulsive landing system for ground touchdowns on the capsule’s legs.
The Commercial Crew Program isn’t the only project NASA has on the go to push the limits of space flight, however. Operating in parallel is development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle spacecraft and Space Launch System, a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket that, the agency says, “will provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit.”
NASA injects $1.1bn into private space craft companies is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
NASA has reportedly picked Boeing and SpaceX as the two companies to receive primary funding for the “Commercial Crew Program.” The news was reportedly leaked to NBC News’ Jay Barbree, but all parties involved have refused to comment until NASA makes the official announcement later today. While Boeing and SpaceX are likely to take home the bulk of $1 billion in funding, Sierra Nevada has been picked as the “standby” candidate — with a mandate to step in if either primary partner fails. If true, then it means that Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has been cut out of the race entirely — although disappointment is easier to take if you’re a billionaire… we’ve heard.
Update: NASA’s confirmed its picks, with back-up choice Sierra Nevada picking up $212.5 million, while Space X and Boeing got $440 million and $460 million, respectively. To celebrate, SpaceX’s crafted another stargazing video — it’s right after the break.
Continue reading Boeing, SpaceX win NASA ‘space taxi’ funding race (updated)
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Boeing, SpaceX win NASA ‘space taxi’ funding race (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is the hottest bird in aviation, and while the American-made airliner has already taken flight with passengers aboard, it has yet to land with US-flag air carrier livery along the fuselage. Japan’s All Nippon Airways was the first to take delivery, with the premier pair making their way from the assembly line in September of 2011. Last year Japan Airlines made its first scheduled voyage across the Pacific in a Dreamliner of its own, and we were fortunate enough to fly roundtrip on a domestic ANA flight leaving from Tokyo a few months later. But now the 787 is making its way to an American carrier. As the first US airline to operate the plane, United Airlines is about to take delivery of its first of 50 Dreamliners, which will join the carrier’s fleet to service both existing and new routes, such as Denver to Tokyo, which is set to launch in late March of next year.
We traveled to Boeing’s Everett, Washington factory today for a first look at United’s aircraft. While the Dreamliner looks physically identical to ANA’s plane, the on-board experience is decidedly different from what we saw in Japan. Though the Dreamliner has a very similar layout to United’s bigger 777, it feels roomier thanks to larger windows with dimmable shades, expanded overheard bins and higher ceilings. There’s plenty more to see, though, so jump past the break for a video tour of United’s new mid-size flagship, and a closer look in photos.
Gallery: United Dreamliner interior
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Boeing prepares to deliver United’s 787 Dreamliner, we climb aboard for a tour (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The first US-based 787 carrier is inching closer to its Dreamliner service launch. United Airlines celebrated the plane’s rollout today at Boeing’s Everett, Washington factory. The aircraft, which is set to begin international service later this year, received a custom livery, which includes a curved “swoop” — which oddly enough appears to be the focus of design chatter. That may just be because the public has yet to take a peek inside, though we did have an opportunity to hitch a ride on ANA’s variant last year, which has been flying throughout Japan since late 2011. Despite All Nippon’s head start, United’s flavor has garnered much attention domestically, marking a massive milestone in the Dreamliner’s delayed launch. Hit up our source link below for a few more (exterior) views, courtesy of United.
Filed under: Transportation
United 787 Dreamliner emerges from Boeing factory, complete with golden head-to-tail ‘swoop’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
During a ground test on a runway in South Carolina over the weekend, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner expelled a piece of debris that landed on grass and caught fire. It’s just the latest setback for the $200 million passenger megaplane of the future. Scary. More »
Boeing is making better use of today’s mobile technology by integrating it into its aircraft, starting with rolling it all into the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A Qatar Airways Boeing was unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK this week showing off its new Android-based entertainment system. Over 850 planes will be equipped with two types of in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solutions–the Thales TopSeries Avant and the Panasonic eX3.
The Thales TopSeries Avant IFECs had been integrated with the Qatar Airways 787 Dreamliner, featuring two classes, economy and business. They’ll have 7-inch and 10-inch touchscreen IFECs with hardware stored in the seat-back unit. A STMicro dual-core ARM processor, 1GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD also come with each IFEC.
Android handsets will be equipped with the Thales TopSeries Avant IFEC, presumably for running applications not built for the large screen will be. Although not specified yet, it’s expected that the Android version used on the system will be either Android 2.3 or Android 3.0.
[via ExtremeTech]
Boeing unveils Dreamliner 787 with Android-based entertainment systems is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Although this is not really the Boeing Phone that the American aircraft manufacturer promised to us a few months ago, Boeing is at least trying to integrate the best that mobile technology has to offer to its jets. And it begins with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner – a long-range, wide-body, twin-engine jet airline that can carry hundreds of passengers. Boeing is saying that it will be integrating two Android-based entertainment systems on the Dreamliner. The said two in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions (IFECs) are the Panasonic eX3 and the Thales TopSeries Avant.
Boeing recently integrated the Thales TopSeries Avant IFECs to the 787 Dreamliner of Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways 787 has two classes – economy and business – equipped with 7-inch and 10-inch touchscreen displays. Every IFEC will will sport an STMicro dual-core ARM processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB storage capacity. The Thales TopSeries Avant IFEC will also be equipped with an Android handset that will presumably run applications that aren’t suited for larger screens. As for the version of Android used on the system, ExtremeTech believes that it will run either Android 2.3 or Android 3.0.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Boeing 787 Dreamliner has electronically dimming windows, XBMC announces Android app,
It’s not me, it’s you. The US Army’s dalliance with Boeing’s A160 Hummingbird drone got one step closer to Splitsville after the military branch issued a stop-work order for the project. Initially scheduled to see action in Afghanistan starting this July, the chopper-drone turned plenty of heads thanks to a DARPA-developed Argus-IS imaging system with a 1.8-gigapixel camera capable of spying on ground targets from 20,000 feet. The honeymoon period between the Army and the A160 is apparently over, however, thanks to a host of issues. These included wiring problems as well as excessive vibration that caused an A160 to crash earlier this year due to a transmission mount failure. The problems not only increased risk and caused delays, but also led program costs to helicopter out of control — a big no-no given Uncle Sam’s recent belt-tightening. In the meantime, the Army is reportedly checking out the K-MAX, though it’s important to note that this unmanned chopper specializes in cargo and doesn’t have the A160’s eyes.
US Army breaking up with A160 Hummingbird drone-copter, says it’s too high maintenance originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 07:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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