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The first zero-g 3D printer is about to launch into orbit (update: launch scrubbed)
Gravity. More than the name of a killer movie, it's likely something we take for granted every single day. After all, nearly everything we do is reliant on the idea that stuff stays in place when we stop holding it. Astronauts don't have that luxury, however, and when even simple tasks take a ton of effort, something relatively complex like using a 3D printer is even harder. Why would astronauts need one of those? Well, because stuff breaks in space, and replacing a busted part isn't as simple as hitting Home Depot -- just ask the crew of Apollo 13. To help get around that, the folks at Made in Space have designed a 3D printer that circumvents the lack of Earth's gravity when used in orbit. Instead of molten filament essentially "stacking" on itself to form an object like it does planetside, according to The Verge, the Zero-G Printer liquid's surface-tension holds a widget together. Update: No launch tonight! Weather conditions forced a postponement. According to NASA, the next launch window is tomorrow night, on the 21st at about 1:52 AM ET.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has struck a deal with Boeing and Lockheed to build space rockets
Wondering why NASA gave Boeing the lion's share of its space taxi funding? Jeff Bezos could have something to do with it. Shortly after NASA awarded Boeing $4.2 billion in funding, the Wall Street Journal claimed the company padded its bid with a partnership with Bezos' Blue Origin. Turns out, the WSJ was right: today Blue Origin and the United Launch Alliance (a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin) entered an agreement to fund and build the Blue Origin BE-4 rocket engine. Basically, Boeing is going to build NASA's space taxi capsules and Bezos' rocket company is going to launch them out of our atmosphere.
Boeing and SpaceX will shuttle American astronauts to the ISS
There had been rumors of NASA awarding Boeing a big contract for its Commercial Crew Program, and it turns out that the claims were true -- and then some. The agency has just announced that both Boeing's CST-100 capsule and SpaceX's Dragon V2 will ferry American astronauts to the International Space Station from 2017 onward. Most of the funding ($4.2 billion) will go to Boeing's entry, but the SpaceX deal is still pretty hefty at $2.6 billion. Once both vehicles are certified and tested, they'll participate in manned scientific missions (up to six each) and serve as lifeboats in emergencies. Unfortunately, Sierra Nevada's aircraft-like Dream Chaser isn't part of the picture. It's ultimately a good day for space travel, but those hoping for a Space Shuttle-like design will be disappointed.
Boeing is expected to build most of NASA's space taxis (update: official)
NASA may have been even-handed when it started doling out money to contractors for its space taxi program, but there are hints that it's about to play favorites. The Wall Street Journal hears from anonymous officials that Boeing is now the odds-on favorite to get the majority of NASA's astronaut transportation business. SpaceX, once thought to be the frontrunner, would be relegated to a "second source" alongside Sierra Nevada. Reportedly, the agency sees Boeing's CST-100 capsule as the easy choice -- it carries relatively few risks, and is more likely to be ready for business in three years than SpaceX's Dragon V2. Update: Sure enough, NASA announced its contracts today. Boeing will get the lion's share of the business with $4.2 billion in funding, but SpaceX isn't exactly a bit player here -- it's getting $2.6 billion. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser won't be part of the picture, however.
SpaceX rocket malfunctions and explodes during 'complex' test
No one ever said rebooting spaceflight was going to be easy. The SpaceX team might know that better than anyone, especially on a night like this: one of the company's experimental F9R rockets malfunctioned in a test flight over McGregor, Texas and automatically aborted by self-destructing. Thankfully, the system kicked in before the rocket could veer off course, so there were no injuries (or near-injuries, as SpaceX was quick to point out) and no damage was inflicted. At time of writing there's no word on just what sort of anomaly prompted the F9R to terminate its flight, but SpaceX plans to dig into the flight data to figure out just what went south.
What you need to know about commercial spaceflight
In May 2012, the International Space Station's robotic claw, the Canadarm2, caught and secured the first commercial spacecraft to ever dock with the ISS: SpaceX's Dragon capsule. The bullet-shaped vehicle flew to the ISS carrying cargo for its crew, making history for the private space sector in the process. SpaceX has grown leaps and bounds since then, signing contracts with NASA and other government agencies and developing more advanced technologies for space travel. It's even in the midst of designing Dragon version 2, which, unlike its unmanned predecessor, will be able to fit up to seven passengers. While Elon Musk's company is the most well-known commercial spaceflight firm today, it's hardly the only one. The private space industry is huge and it continues to grow; read on to know more about it.
Rocket recycling: watch SpaceX's Falcon 9 fly back to Earth
Back in mid-July, one of SpaceX's two-stage Falcon 9 rockets blasted off from Cape Canaveral to deposit a series of 6 Orbcomm satellites in low earth orbit. In case you're not terribly familiar with how these things work, it's the rocket's first stage (and its 9 Merlin 1C engines) that does most of the heavy lifting, and SpaceX hopes that these expensive boosters can be recovered and reused. We caught a glimpse of that particular Falcon 9's first stage splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean thanks to a camera mounted on the rocket itself, but SpaceX posted a video today that gives us a look at the events from a different angle -- specifically, from a chase plane coming along for the ride. Sadly, the plane lost sight of the first stage just as it tipped over and fell into the water, but the rest of rocket's journey was well documented. Hitting the water compromised the booster's hull, though the data collected gave SpaceX confidence that it'll ultimately be able to land one of these things safely on dry land.
The Big Picture: SpaceX Falcon 9 departs from Cape Canaveral
Before most of us here in the States woke from last night's slumber, Elon Musk's outfit launched a rocket into space. The SpaceX Falcon 9 blazed across the sky from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 4AM ET, carrying an AsiaSat 8 satellite to deploy into orbit. Liftoff came just hours after the announcement that the company's new facility and the world's first commercial launchpad would be built in Brownsville, Texas.
SpaceX's new rocket facility officially lands in Brownsville, Texas
SpaceX made clear that it was going to put a launch facility in Texas before long, and today we've received the full skinny on just where that base is going. As suspected, the Governor's Office has announced that the commercial spaceport will be built in Brownsville, near the Mexico border. The state says it will pump a total of $15.3 million into the region to help create the necessary infrastructure. This isn't SpaceX's first Texan location (it already has a development site in McGregor), but it will certainly be the most conspicuous -- especially if rumors of multiple vehicle launches per day ultimately prove true.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to go to Mars
The United States space shuttle program no longer exists, which leaves NASA's astronauts with few options for hitching a ride to the International Space Station. One option, Russia's space program, is currently roadblocked by politics. Another other option is thankfully here in the US, with Elon Musk's SpaceX offering rides to and from the ISS; Musk says that his company will transport human beings between Earth and the ISS "in about two to three years" with the second version of his company's Dragon spacecraft. But the long game isn't the ISS: it's Mars.
SpaceX chooses Texas for its futuristic launch complex
SpaceX has been launching rockets in Florida or California for quite some time, but Texas will likely see most of the action once the company finishes building its new spaceport in Cameron County. While SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hasn't made an official announcement yet, a Florida official (who's understandably disappointed by the development) confirmed that the Lone Star State has indeed landed the contract. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration already gave SpaceX its blessing to do 12 launches per year (mostly of its Falcon 9 and upcoming Falcon Heavy rockets) from the 56.5 acre site. Musk plans to make it the main launching site for space tourists and missions funded by companies and foreign governments in the future, while still sending NASA-funded rockets off to space from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
Methane-powered rocket wants to conquer space on the cheap
It seems like most things come in threes: celebrity deaths, game console makers and, well, apparently privatized space-faring companies too. On that note, FireFly Space Systems (which includes former SpaceX and Virgin Galactic employees) has recently shown off its first rocket, appropriately dubbed "Alpha," and the outfit claims it's a bit different from the likes of what we've seen before. FireFly says that its vessel uses an engine that's more aerodynamic and thus more efficient than a traditional rocket's bell-shaped blasters. Another differentiator is the type of fuel is uses -- methane. This serves a few purposes. Namely, it reduces weight because the fuel itself is used to pressurize the engine as opposed to the typical helium, and it apparently simplifies design as well. Moreover, methane is relatively inexpensive; it's the same stuff used to heat houses after all. According to NewScientist, the goal is to provide a low-cost platform for launching clusters of small satellites used for, among other things, providing broadband internet.
Meet NASA's commercial space capsule contenders
Sure, the Dragon V2 is the latest (and greatest) spacecraft from SpaceX, but it's not the only capsule that may one day schlep astronauts to the International Space Station. In fact, Elon Musk's firm is just one of three private outfits currently competing in a NASA program for commercial launches with their own vehicles. We've surveyed the space capsule landscape and have whipped up a primer on the future crafts that may wind up taking humans to space.
SpaceX Dragon V2 can seat up to seven passengers, use thrusters to land on solid ground
SpaceX's Dragon capsule has been taking cargo to the International Space Station since 2012, but it's done so lacking the chops to shuttle humans into orbit. The firm's just unveiled the next generation of the spacecraft, dubbed Dragon V2, to remedy that, and it's designed to do much more than carry people. The new craft is reusable, can hold up to seven passengers and is designed to allow for swapping crew space for additional cargo. What's more, the vessel is able to land on solid ground with the accuracy of a helicopter -- as opposed to splashing down at sea -- without parachutes. Using eight SuperDraco thrusters, engines 3D-printed from a superalloy, the Dragon V2 can blast out enough force (16,000 lbf for each engine) to slow itself down for a landing on terra firma.
Watch SpaceX unveil its next-gen space capsule, Dragon V2 (update: done!)
SpaceX is getting ready to reveal its next-generation space capsule tonight at its HQ in Hawthorne, California, and while we'll be covering it live, you can watch as it unfolds too. The firm's setup a stream (which we've included after the break) for the proceedings, and they're set to get started at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. So, what's the big hubbub about this new craft? It'll be able to carry humans into space, not just cargo. That's something the first Dragon wasn't outfitted to for. Update: And it's over! Elon Musk showed off the Dragon V2, get all the details right here.
Elon Musk blames bribery for Air Force awarding rocket contract to a competitor
Remember that Air Force rocket contract Elon Musk was so peeved about? If you don't, let's recap: without accepting other bids, the Air Force awarded an exclusive deal to a company called United Launch Alliance that covers some 36 rocket launches -- launches Musk and his company SpaceX believed they were in line to compete for. Tonight in a series of tweets, Musk pointed out an article from The National Legal and Policy Center calling out the Air Force official in charge of the deal, Roger Correll, for taking a job with one of ULA's suppliers. Musk makes the accusation clear, saying "V likely AF official Correll was told by ULA/Rocketdyne that a rich VP job was his if he gave them a sole source contract. Reason I believe this is likely is that Correll first tried to work at SpaceX, but we turned him down. Our competitor, it seems, did not."
America's next fleet of spaceships will have to double as lifeboats
Right now, there are six people living and working in the International Space Station as it hurtles around our little oasis among the stars. That thought alone is astonishing/freaky enough until you realize the sheer number of things that could go wrong (Gravity, anyone?). That's why it's no surprise that NASA wants the new ships that'll ferry people and supplies to the ISS to act as lifeboats in case things up there take a turn for the worse.
You can see the International Space Station's view of Earth right now
It's possible to see the International Space Station floating overhead if you have the right equipment and good timing, but have you ever wondered what it sees at any given moment? As of now, you won't have to. NASA has switched on the High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment, an internet stream that shows the station's view of our planet in real time; you can check it out below. Developed and run in part by high school students, it includes both multiple 720p camera feeds and the ISS crew's radio chatter.
Watch SpaceX's reusable rocket hover at 3,280 feet before gently landing back to Earth
Between winning an injunction against a rival and proving that its reusable rocket works, it's been a pretty good week for SpaceX. As a victory lap, the company has once-again test fired its Falcon9R rocket, and unlike last time, filmed it from the ground so everyone can see its progress. In the clip (below), the craft launches, hovers at 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and gently coasts back to the ground for a safe landing. With this early hardware, the landing legs remain out at all times, but it's hoped that soon, the company will be able to have them stowed against the body, only emerging when it's time to land -- just like the U.S.S. Planet Express Ship.
SpaceX seeks video experts to help it prove Falcon rockets are reusable
Between courtroom battles with the federal government, SpaceX is in the business of launching things into space. The company has been trumpeting the ability of its Falcon 9 to safely land back on Earth, making it reusable and therefore much cheaper to use. Sadly, the camera attached to the hardware churned out a mess of garbled digital noise instead of glorious HD footage. Elon Musk and crew, however, aren't video experts, but rocket scientists, so they've posted the raw files online in the hope that an armchair VFX expert can translate the mess back into a watchable clip. If you take on the challenge, you can post your attempt to Reddit, and while the company isn't promising any prizes, maybe Elon Musk will let you fly in his top-secret spaceship, or something.
