Interesting agreement
July 21st, 2007 by SecureCare“Northrop Grumman’s 100 percent equity plans for Scaled Composites in Mojave, California will not impact work underway in developing the commercial, passenger-carrying SpaceShipTwo…on July 5 Northrop Grumman agreed to increase their ownership of Scaled Composites. The large aerospace firm has had for several years approximately 40 percent of Scaled, now increasing its equity to 100 percent…Northrop Grumman values the mode of operation that Scaled Composites has currently.” Full Slice - Another step toward private space activity success
July 21st, 2007 at 10:24 am
This seems to be a positive straw at which to grasp. Of course sub-orbital is only about ten percent of initial success. Still, starting small is a strategy that can lead to orbital offerings. That next ninety percent is sure to require the resources of a mil/ind-comp sized outfit.
I hope that Bigelow and other space companies see economies of scale that drive them to justify growth in launcher throw weight, ultimately to an Ares V class rocket. At that point, breakout would be technologically possible - modulo the various elephants in the room such as radiation, dust, and the newly nominated roadblock, EDL of big stuff onto Mars.
July 21st, 2007 at 7:27 pm
dean Said:
“…I hope that Bigelow and other space companies see economies of scale that drive them to justify growth in launcher throw weight…”
SpaceX, of course, seems to be thinking along those lines…
July 24th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Exactly. I would love to see Bigelow contract with SpaceX to lob mass quantities of hotellage up on their heaviest lift machine. Then the notion of lobbing mass quantities of robotage to Mars every opportunity wouldn’t seem so daunting.