America is back in the space launch business, thanks to SpaceX and PayPal

(May 2, 2012) – In full disclosure, I started writing this column about a week ago, the day that the Dragon spaceship successfully berthed with the International Space Station.  I was going to submit it that night because of the “great news” but after second thought, I didn’t want to “jinx” the Earth re-entry, descent and splashdown phases. So without further delay, after a completely successful mission, I’m pleased to introduce my dear readers to The Dragon.

The Dragon Spacecraft with solar panels deployed (SpaceX)

On 25 May, 2012, the United States of America achieved another milestone in space (with an asterisk).  This time, it was not our national muscle that flexed to achieve this feat; it was accomplished by a small, agile company called SpaceX, where the average employee age is 30 years old.

That’s right, a company in which the brilliant, hard-working engineers and scientists are only seven years from their undergraduate college days.

Figure 2 A Moment in History as Dragon is Captured by the ISS Remote Manipulator Arm (Photo by NASA)

Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress continues to spearhead the “rocket on the drawing board” – the SLS, not fondly known as the Senate Launch System, because it gathers 50-year old parts from many different voting districts to keep a handful of powerful politicians employed.

When I started to write this, astronauts were whirling around Earth (going nowhere in a circle) offloading The Dragon capsule as it delivered about a half ton of supplies and science experiments to the ISS.  You can’t just operate the space station without adding supplies.

On May 31,  the Dragon returned a slightly larger load of gear to Earth after successfully splashing down in the Pacific Ocean about 500-miles offshore from California.

When the hatches opened between Dragon and  the ISS’s Harmony node at 5:53 am EDT (0953 GMT), on 25 May,U.S. astronaut Don Pettit said the Dragon smelled like a brand new car.  Unlike many of the fat cats who sit in judgment of the builders and explorers, I can imagine what it smells like on the space station.  I have piloted aircraft for long periods of time in cramped quarters where there is very little atmosphere.  I have been told that this slightly acrid but dulled smell of body odor and electronics is very similar to the ISS. Yuck! This means that a “new car smell” is a welcome addition to the ISS.

Astronaut Pettit, looking over the Dragon like a prospective new car buyer stated, “I spent quite a bit of time poking around in here this morning, just looking at the engineering and the layout, and I am very pleased. It looks like it carries about as much cargo as I could put in my pickup truck,” he said.

Most significant to me is the comment Pettit made regarding his future “ride into space”:  “It’s roomier than a Soyuz,” referring to Russia’s spaceships that today serve as America’s space taxis that carry both humans and cargo.

SpaceX’s Dragon was built to carry up to seven humans to the ISS. Compare this to our astronaut’s current “ride to orbit,” the Russian Soyuz that barely carries three astronauts per launch.

The Dragon capsule is pretty large at  4.4 meters (14.4 feet) high and is 3.66 meters in diameter. The Dragon is a powerful space flier that can carry over 3,310 kilograms split between pressurized cargo in the capsule and unpressurized cargo in the aft section, known as the “trunk.”

“We have already had all six people in here for a real brief period of time,” said Pettit.

That means SpaceX and its competitor, Orbital Sciences Corporation, would likely become the chief cargo servicers of the $100 billion space station, which is set to remain operational until 2020, according to NASA plans.

SpaceX, owned by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, remains perfectly on schedule and says it aims to begin taking people to the space station by 2015. I wish our own hometown Congressman would learn to appreciate that young people can still accomplish amazing things. Hall has been critical of the commercial space program from the beginning.

Artist's conception of SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy (courtesy SpaceX)

In related news, NASA still has not gotten itself back on schedule with its next generation rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), also known as the Senate Launch System, because its design was driven not by honest engineering, but driven by keeping politicians in power by employing their constituents by building parts for the NASA rocket.  The Falcon rocket is massive and its heavy lift configuration will be twice as powerful as the now retired Space Shuttle. Falcon 8 Heavy will be powerful  enough to launch 117,000 pounds of interplanetary spacecraft into low Earth orbit where the vehicle will use gravity to propel itself further into our Solar System.

According to an ABC news article that appeared about one year ago,  “Rep. Ralph Hall, a Texas Republican, told members gathered at a hearing on commercial space program Thursday that he is worried NASA is relying too heavily on the two companies (sic. Space-X and Orbital Sciences). Hall said, “ NASA…is now gambling the future of space station on the successes of two very new launch systems. I simply regret that there continues to be so much uncertainty about our nation’s ability to reliably get cargo to Station with the final Shuttle flight now less than two months away.”

During the hearings, the Honorable Hall’s #2 who chairs the (NASA) committee attempted to exert considerable pressure by threatening Space-X and Orbital by invoking the all-too-freqently seen tool of congress, the oversight investigation tool. After the press pool was reminded by one of the execs that the audience should keep in mind that the spacecraft here were developed from a blank sheet to first launch in four and a half years for approximately $300 million each. This is dramatically less than what NASA accomplishes.

Several members of Congress, however, continued to voice their concerns about NASA’s approach. Subcommittee Chairman Steven Palazzo, a Mississippi Republican whose constituents include NASA Stennis space center where they test engines and fuel systems, said he wanted the companies to be forthcoming about their progress, and about the costs of their endeavors.  Most of us understand what happens when you take money from Big Brother; with money comes strings.

Both SpaceX and Orbital Sciences have received considerable taxpayer support in the form of NASA contracts but they have also staked much of their firm’s resources in creating a NEW space launch system.  SpaceX has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the station over the coming years while Orbital Sciences has a $1.9 billion contract to do the same. While serving as the Army’s Senior Space Operations Officer at Vandenberg Air Force Base, I  personally observed the effectiveness and engineering creativity behind Orbital’s work and have no doubt they will meet their obligations to NASA.

More history was made on May 31, 2012 as the Dragon completed its mission and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean

Today is a great day for the United States of America’s space program as our first successful commercial space transportation mission launched, berth with the ISS and returned to a pre-established destination on Earth. America is back in the space launch business, albeit as an unmanned spaceship, but we are back!

Our Universe Today is a column written by Blue Ribbon News special contributor, Max Corneau, who has lived in Rockwall with his family since 2000.

Max Corneau, aka AstroDad, of Rockwall

Max retired from the U.S. Army in 2009 as a Lieutenant Colonel, Senior Space Operations Officer and Master Aviator.  He amassed over 3,200 hours as a pilot of Special Electronic Mission Airplanes.  Since 2004 he has been a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, is a Master of Astronomical Outreach through the Astronomcial League and built his own astronomical observatory. His amazing images can be seen at AstroDad.com.

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