Space Adventures makes news

This news item via Space Today: MosNews is reporting from Russia that Space Adventures is partnering with Pradea (Ansari family's - yes, that Ansari - Texas-based VC firm) and Roskosmos (the Russian Federal Space Agency) to design a build a sub-orbital passenger system. Myasishchev Design Bureau will design and build the vehicles. Here's SA's own press relesase

Frankly, I don't get it. So here are some wild speculations:

1. Was this the plan all along? Start with operating tours until you have enough credibility to fund vehicle development, and then switch from a service to a product strategy?

2. The Russian technology vendors aren't as cheap as they were just a few years ago anymore. They're likely to be more expensive then the Armadillo, Masten, and Rocktplane vehicles (just a guess, I don't have real data). So SA probably thinks that they've built enough of a brand name that they can charge a premium over these latter companies and get away with it, or that those others will never fly at all.....

3. Is this an end-run around ITAR? If so, the shipbuilders in this country should be screaming bloody murder to their elective representatives - that a US VC fund and a US operator should be investing in Russian companies instead of supporting the homegrown builders that are struggling for funding is a disgrace and a strategic blunder by the US Government.

4. By explicitly stating that none of the "consortium members" will actually operte the ships but sell them to other operators, is SA tacitly admitting the difficulty of the former business model? Or are they not "consortium members" in that sense?

Additional reporting by MSNBC, via Space.com and Clark Lindsey @ Space Transportation News, which lists even more reporting by CBS and CNet

SpaceX hold-down engine firing

Appears to be a success, according to Kimbal Musk

Congratulations, folks! Way to go!

A Strawman Architecture

A while ago, I wrote about my overall approach to space settlement. Here's the next step, a strawman architecture for the a paper I'm submitting to ISDC 2006 (entitled "Value Network models for the Cislunar Economy"):

I'm looking at the architecture from the business point of view: Development Costs, Cash Flow, Balance Sheet, Investment Risk, ROI.

I'm still only just a little bit into the modeling, but my starting point is a multi-modal architecture:

1. Surface-LEO: one or many of the current crop of alt.space launchers or their progeny

2. A Space Port @ LEO, containing:
....a. Tourist destination
....b. Crew & Passenger lay-over space
....c. Pressurized and un-pressurized cargo transhipment space
....d. Vehicle maintenance facility, including a spare parts inventory
....e. Fuel and other consumables depot

3. LEO-L1: via one of two TransLunar Vehicle types (one optimized for people, including a human crew, one optimized for cargo - remotely piloted)

4. A Space Port @ L1 similar to #2, but potentially different volumes of storage and maintenance capacities (remote vs. depot level maint.)

5. L1 - Surface: via a dedicated, single stage, reusable Lander

6. A Space Port on the Moon, similar to #2, growing down the line into an ISRU processing facility and storage depot, and whatever else people will pay for

7. Surface - L1: via the same vehicle as in #5

8. L1 - LEO: via the same vehicle as in #3, using partial aerobraking (I originally started with fully propulsive braking, but will switch to partial aerobraking, as Jonathan Goff suggested yesterday).

9. LEO - Surface: via one of the several vehicles as in #1

All of these constructed by vehicle integrator companies (one or more per segment) and operator companies (several per segment).

More later...

SpaceX test firing today

Kimbal Musk at Kwaj & Rockets live-blogged today's several attempts to do a full hold-down test of Falcon 1.

Unfortunately, they are scrubbing for at least two weeks, maybe more. Elon just posted an Update

"...
Falcon 1 Maiden Flight Update: Posted February 9, 2006

After analyzing data from the static fire countdown, we decided to postpone the launch. The vehicle is being lowered for further investigation.

Once we have thoroughly checked out all systems, I will post an update on what was found and when the next countdown attempt will occur. Based on range availability and logistics constraints, a rough guess would be two to four weeks.

--- Elon
..."

Edge-of-the-seat type stuff...

Go SpaceX!

Best of luck, SpaceX

They're trying to launch again on Firday (testing on Thursday)

Best wishes, Elon and Crew!!!

To quote Yuri Gagarin: "Poehali!"

Interesting...

Nasa is looking for input on rules for a batch of possible new Centennial Challenges:

Part 1, Description (via SpaceRef)

Part 2, Rules (via SpaceRef)

Original (via FedBizOpps))

I'm seriously intrigued by Appendix 1.......

Going to ISDC 2006

I'll be at the ISDC 2006 in LA, May 4 through May 7. I'm hoping to present a paper based on some of the ideas in this blog. I'll post an update, as soon as the paper is officially accepted by the conference.