For the science geeks et al..

[JimHawkins]

From the guy who created PayPal....

This is not your old Estes rocket... Watch out NASA...

SpaceX a small California based company getting into space, literally...

Amazing, many technically advanced countries can't build stuff that can get up where this baby does....orbit!

Our company is based on the philosophy that simplicity, low-cost, and reliability can go hand in hand. By eliminating the traditional layers of management, internally, and sub-contractors, externally, we reduce our costs while speeding decision making and delivery. Likewise, by keeping the vast majority of manufacturing in house, we reduce our costs, keep tighter control of quality, and ensure a tight feedback loop between the design and manufacturing teams. And by focusing on simple, proven designs with a primary focus on reliability, we reduce the costs associated with complex systems operating at the margin.

Established in 2002 by Elon Musk , the founder of PayPal and the Zip2 Corporation, SpaceX has already developed two brand new launch vehicles, established an impressive launch manifest, and been awarded COTS funding by NASA to demonstrate delivery and return of cargo to the International Space Station. Supported by this order book and Mr. Musk's substantial resources, SpaceX is on an extremely sound financial footing as we move towards volume commercial launches.

Very impressive....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To-XOPgaGsQ
http://www.spacex.com/

[Bill Glasheen]

Interesting company.

Spacex isn't the first such venture to try. Several decades ago the brother-in-law of my first Uechi instructor formed just such a company. Sadly he was killed in an automobile accident (talking on a cell phone) before the first launch, and the first launch failed. The company died with the death of the visionary.

It was only a matter of time before private industry produced a viable company that produced launch vehicles.

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

Here's a piece on George Koopman and his company. It appears they got farther than I realized. I lost touch with Amroc after George was killed in an automobile accident.

SpaceX appears to have realized George's dream - "to be the Federal Express of space." George was way ahead of his time. And you know what? First thing I realized when I saw "SpaceX" was that it was a play on "Fedex."

- Bill

AMROC Demo Hybrid Rocket Motor Firing

Industrial Launch Vehicle / Aquila / American Rocket [Amroc]

Chartering American Rocket [Amroc] in March, 1985, George Koopman and his colleagues researched and developed the first working hybrid rockets ever to be tested in the United States. That they managed to do this for only about $10 million over 4 years was a sterling example of how efficient free enterprise can be when allowed to work unfettered. It was also a tribute to George Koopman's driving spirit and to his desire to work for the attainment of his dreams. George Koopman wanted Amroc to be the Federal Express of space.

George Koopman, one of the cofounders of the American Rocket Co., and the president and chief executive officer of Amroc since its creation, died July 19, 1989, of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was 44. Mr. Koopman was an example of one of those people who have literally built America--the entrepreneur. It was Mr. Koopman's dream, and the dream of his fellow American Rocket Co. cofounders and financial backers, to found a company that would create affordable access to space.

AMROC officials affirmed that preparations for the company's first space launch, scheduled for August 14, 1989, would continue as planned. The sounding rocket SET-1 (Single Engine Test Flight#1), thrust 324,000N, was launched on October 5th 1989.

An extensive knowledge base was produced by American Rocket Company over its eight-year history. The technical rights, proprietary data and patents produced by AMROC were the result of over $20 million worth of hybrid rocket motor research. AMROC designed and hot test fired a wide variety of hybrid rocket motors of all sizes, utilizing non-toxic storable propellants. AMROC completed approximately 300 hybrid motor tests from 100 to 250,000 pounds of thrust.

In August 1998 SpaceDev, the world's first commercial space exploration company, acquired exclusive rights to intellectual property including the three patents originally issued to American Rocket Company (Amroc) for their hybrid rocket motor technology. In addition, SpaceDev acquired exclusive possession of and access to a large quantity of Amroc engineering documents, plans, designs, test results, manufacturing data, and other materials related to the rocket motors and Amroc launch vehicles.

- GlobalSecurity.org

[JimHawkins]

Very cool...

No doubt there will be more players... As it is I think SpaceX can deliver payloads at half or a third of the cost of what the bloated shuttle costs, although perhaps not as large a payload...

I thought the ride up on the Falcon was exciting in part because it was a small group's effort relative to NASA...

I wouldn't be surprised if the private sector pulls ahead of NASA in the near future, unless NASA can pull a big rabbit out of their hat...

In the mean time I can't think of a cooler place to work....