New European/Russian Manned Space Vehicle

Russian firm RKK Energia has spent two years designing the vehicle.

The first official image of a Russian-European manned spacecraft has been unveiled.
It is designed to replace the Soyuz vehicle currently in use by Russia and will allow Europe to participate directly in crew transportation.
The reusable ship was conceived to carry four people towards the Moon, rivalling the US Ares/Orion system.
Unlike previous crewed vehicles, it will use thrusters to make a soft landing when it returns to Earth.
Russian aerospace writer and graphic designer Anatoly Zak has produced artist's renderings of the new craft based on a design released by Russian manufacturer RKK Energia at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK last week.

I think the main roadmap is the agreement between the European and Russian space agencies. That is their Plan A
Anatoly Zak
In some respects, the capsule resembles America's next-generation spacecraft Orion. The 18-to-20-tonne Russian-European vehicle is designed to carry six crew into low-Earth orbit and four on missions to lunar orbit.
One of the most unusual features about the capsule appear to be the thrusters and landing gear on its underside. Mr Zak said it would use these engines to soften its landing on Earth after the fiery re-entry through our atmosphere.
The European Space Agency (Esa) has been talking to its Russian counterpart Roscosmos about collaborating on the Crew Space Transportation System (CSTS) since 2006.
Launcher decision
"If Esa and the Russian Space Agency reach agreement, Europe will supply the service module of that co-operative spacecraft," Mr Zak told BBC News.
This service module will use technology - such as the propulsion systems - developed for Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), an unmanned freighter recently sent to re-supply the International Space Station (ISS).
Russia may provide the launcher for the new manned spacecraft. This might be an entirely new vehicle, or a modification of an existing rocket.

Thrusters would cushion the spacecraft's landing:

Mr Zak said Russia was insisting in its negotiations with Europe that all future manned projects be based in Vostochny, the new cosmodrome being developed in Russia's eastern Amur region. The Russian government wants to host its first manned launch from that site in 2018.
At the moment, all manned Soyuz launches take place from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Alternatively, the space agencies could opt to "man-rate" Europe's Ariane 5 launcher, which lifts off from Kourou in French Guiana. This would allow the rocket to carry humans into space.
This would involve making major modifications to Kourou spaceport, including the development of infrastructure to support a crew escape system in the event of an emergency.
It is quite possible that both launch sites would play a role in any collaborative programme, which would necessitate the lofting of cargo as well as human crew.
However, if this collaboration falls apart, Europe has another option for direct manned access to space.
Other option
In May this year, European aerospace company EADS Astrium unveiled its own model of a crewed space vehicle, described as an "evolution" of the ATV, which was built by a consortium of European companies led by Astrium.
It would combine what is essentially the avionics and propulsion end of the ATV with a crew compartment taking the place of the current cargo section.

EADS Astrium has proposed a manned version of the ATV

Berlin unveils 'crewed spaceship'
Mr Zak commented: "I think the main roadmap is the agreement between the European and Russian space agencies. That is their Plan A. Their Plan B is the initiative made by EADS Astrium in Bremen."
But if the agencies want a manned craft capable of reaching the Moon, they will need to develop new, more powerful rockets than those on the drawing board today.
"This is an open question, there are no decisions on how to proceed," said Mr Zak.
The CSTS is also sometimes referred to as the Advanced Crew Transportation System (ACTS). Esa and Roscosmos started talks on the project after some Esa member states rejected further involvement in the development of another manned spacecraft called Kliper.
The proposals will go before a crucial meeting of space ministers from European member states in November this year.



ORIGINAL ARTICLE HYPERJACK:
By Paul Rincon
Science reporter, BBC News

SPACE-X : A Mission Protocol Update Log

WE ALL AWAIT THE LATEST EFFORT FROM THE SPACE-X TEAM THAT ELON MUSK IS COMMANDING. FAILURES SHOULD NOT HINDER THIS MACHINE AS IT MERELY SHOWS THE TRUE NATURE OF ACCOMPLISHING SUCH A TASK. AS I PERSONALLY WANT TO SEE THE FALCON 9 A COMPLETE SUCCESS, I BELIEVE A GOOGLE PARTNERSHIP WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT DECISION IN LIEU OF THE GOOGLE $20 MIILION DOLLAR X-PRIZE TO LAND A ROVER ON THE MOON. THE GREATEST PART OF THE ELON MUSK VISION IS A LOWER COST TO LAUNCH MAKING THIS AN ACCEPTABLE OPTION SINCE A PAYLOAD COULD BE DELIVERED FOR UNDER $10 MILLION. IF GOOGLE SPONSORED THE SPACE-X LOW COST PER LAUNCH CONCEPT WITH OFFERING CONTESTANTS A FREE RIDE TO ORBIT THEN THEY GET MORE LAUNCH CAPABILITY AND RESEARCH ACCESS AS WELL AS MAKING THIS DIFFICULT LAUNCH TASK A NON-OPTION SINCE A ROVER WOULD NOT REQUIRE THE WHOLE RE-ENGINEERING OF THE ROCKET SCIENCE PART - AS WELL AS REMOVING THE INITIAL IMMENSE COST OF LAUNCHING A PAYLOAD TODAY (even the Space-X cost would be enormous for a fledgling group of student and corporate Spacecraft and Rover designers).
IT WOULD BE A FEASIBLE OPTION FOR ME AND MY FRIENDS TO START A ROVER CONCEPT BUT THE LAUNCH STAGE CAPITAL WOULD BE REALLY HARD TO ACQUIRE.
SO LET THIS BE A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT TO GOOGLE AND SPACE-X : MAKE A PERMANENT PARTNERSHIP SO WE CAN SEE RESULTS SOONER THAN LATER! WE ARE ALL GETTING OLDER AND OUR SPACE DREAMS SHOULD BE HAPPENING AT A MORE RAPID PACE. LIKE I SAID EARLIER - ACCIDENTS HAPPEN AND WE RECOVER AND LEARN HOW TO ENGINEER AROUND THE PROBLEMS AT HAND. LOOK AT APOLLO 1, CHALLENGER & COLUMBIA - A START-UP IS GUARANTEED TO HAVE FAILURES AS WELL! IT IS A SIMPLE EQUATION BUT WE ALL WORK THROUGH IT AND SUPPORT YOU GUYS UP THERE IN EL SEGUNDO AND WITH YOUR NEW LAUNCH PAD. CONGRATULATIONS AND SHOW US SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF SO WE CAN MAKE A SWEET SATELLITE OR ROVER FOR YOU TO HURL INTO THE REALM OF DARK ENERGY AND BEYOND!
(This has been a preliminary message brought to you by Admiral Arkillian of the USRC and CPT.SLS Federation)

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Dragon Engineering Unit – Aluminum isogrid pressure vessel, heat shield support structure at bottom, Space Station common berthing adapter ring at top, and carbon fiber nose cap at right.

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SpaceX: Why Else Would We Put Windows On A Cargo Vehicle?
By Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides May 16, 2008  
All eyes are on SpaceX as they get closer to their end of June test flight of the Falcon 1 rocket. But they are tracking no technical issues as they prep for launch from the Pacific island of Kwajalein. The first two test flights have not achieved orbit, although the second made it high enough to get into space, just not fast enough due to fuel sloshing issues.
The third flight has fixes for those issues and will also debut the new Merlin 1C reusable engine, an upgrade from the Merlin 1A engine used for the previous flights.
This test will have one of three military payloads that the government will select two weeks before the flight to test how fast they can prep and integrate a time sensitive payload. It will also include a Malaysian payload adapter experiment, two nanosats from Cornell, and two CubeSats (typically student engineering design projects).
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is also claiming that the follow up vehicle, Falcon 9 will be able to take crew to the Space Station by 2011, if NASA chooses to fund COTS-D this summer. SpaceX, which already holds a COTS contract for taking cargo to the International Space Station says it will only be an incremental jump to carrying crew, an intentionally small increment.
"You don't really need windows for cargo," Musk added. The Dragon also is also already outfitted with life support systems to support biological cargo such as lab mice. What would really need to be added to upgrade from cargo to crew is a crew escape system.
Musk also added that he should have never said that if they have a third failure he will have to reconsider staying in the space business.
In a worst-case scenario, SpaceX could still weather several more failures even if it didn't sign up any new customers, he said. As long as its customers don't abandon it, "SpaceX will never give up," he said. "I will never give up. Never."

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Launch Pad Demolition Clears Way for SpaceX Rockets
By Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides May 01, 2008  
On Monday NASA Kennedy Space Center demolished Space Launch Complex 40, the launch tower of the now-retired Titan IV. The Titan IV lifted some of the heaviest payloads into space, mostly top-secret missions for the military, but also the Cassini mission that is still sending back data from Saturn and its moons.
The demolition of the now obsolete launch complex will make room for the new Falcon 9 launch pad being built there by private company SpaceX. SpaceX plans to launch their Falcon 9 heavy lift vehicle from Kennedy under their contract with NASA to provide Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) to the International Space Station. The first Falcon 9 is expected to arrive at Kennedy by the end of the year for final assembly.
NASA also recently announced that they have awarded SpaceX an additional contract through 2012 that allows SpaceX to compete for any of NASA's other space launches in support of science, space operations or exploration missions. This is also a huge win for SpaceX and the Falcon 9.

The demolition is expected to be self funded as the pieces are hauled off and sold for scrap metal. Much of the pad complex will still be usable by SpaceX. The concrete deck and flame duct, the water deluge system, the site's electrical system, the lightning towers and the instrumentation bay beneath the pad will all be reused.
"It is one of only a few heavy-lift pads at the Cape," said SpaceX VP of Launch Tim Buzza. "SpaceX is very fortunate to have been granted use of Complex 40. We will put it to good use."
Orbital, the other private company funded under the COTS program, is expected to announce soon whether they will launch from Kennedy Space Center or Wallops Island in Virginia.
Now all eyes turn to June when SpaceX plans their third launch of the Falcon 1. Although the last launch was a "successful" test in that they were able to get all of the data they were looking for, the industry is anxious to see SpaceX successfully deliver its first satellite into orbit.

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SpaceX Breaks Ground on Commercial Space Launch Site
By John Borland November 02, 2007  
Space startup Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, got out the shovels yesterday for a ground-breaking ceremony at Cape Canaveral, where the company is working with the state of Florida to update old launch facilities for the new space age.
The new facility, to be called Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, will be the site of SpaceX's launch of its Falcon 9 vehicle, with missions beginning in late 2008. Assuming all goes well, which remains a big assumption.
The company, whose last rocket test was partially successful, but didn't quite make orbit, still has to prove it has the technological chops to deliver on its promise of cheap, reliable space transportation. However, it is farther along than most of its competitors, having consistently met design and funding milestones as part of NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, through which it is receiving some federal funding. 

According to the company's Web site, it's planning a first few test launches from the Cape Canaveral facility beginning in the last quarter of next year, followed by the launch of a commercial satellite for Canadian company MDA Federal.

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SpaceX Passes NASA Review of Their Plans to Dock with Space Station
By Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides December 19, 2007  
SpaceX just passed the Systems Requirement Review of its docking demonstration flight for the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) Program. SpaceX is planning three demonstration flights of its cargo vehicle, Dragon. The first launch will take the Dragon capsule to orbit for five hours (possibly fall 2008), the second flight will take it to orbit for five days and the third flight will have Dragon fly empty to the International Space Station (ISS) and dock to it safely.

“Because we connect to the ISS on this mission, NASA applied significant additional scrutiny to ensure the safety of the station and its crew,” said Max Vozoff, SpaceX Mission Manager. The team answered all the concerns NASA had and continued its record of meeting all the COTS program milestones.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX said, "The Falcon 9 / Dragon system will ensure that there is no gap in US space transportation capabilities following retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010." A big claim, especially in light of Rep. Weldon's (R-Fl) concerns expressed earlier this week about a gap.

Currently the NASA ISS program uses only government vehicles to get to the International Space Station. After the Space Shuttle retires in 2010, there is an expected four or five year gap before the new Ares I rocket will be flying.
The goal of the NASA COTS program is to stimulate the development of commercial spaceflight services, such as ISS resupply, and then to take advantage of these new capabilities. SpaceX's COTS contract is worth $278 million, small potatoes compared with the billions needed to develop the Ares I and the Orion capsule that rides on top of it (SpaceX's Dragon will ride atop its Falcon 9 vehicle). Still there are no guarantees Falcon 9 and Dragon will work. The Falcon I rocket has yet to deliver a payload to orbit.
However, if SpaceX fails to deliver or meet a milestone, NASA can stop paying them. It is a low cost/low risk gamble, and if it works, it will be well worth it.
SpaceX CEO and PayPal founder Elon Musk had this to say about their first review of the docking flight a few months ago:
To date, no other group has passed the Hazard of Collision report the first time through, or completed the overall review in such a short time. The fact that we passed in under a week speaks well of our team’s capabilities.
Although their current COTS contract calls only for the three cargo demonstration flights, the Dragon capsule is also designed to hold seven crew and many systems are common between the crew and cargo versions of the capsule.  SpaceX does intend to fly people, maybe even as soon as 2011. When asked if SpaceX would fly NASA astronauts on the Dragon, Musk replied, "Demo flights can't use NASA astronauts, so we will use SpaceX employees that volunteer for the job."
Now we just have to wait for Spring 2008 when SpaceX is expected to launch the Falcon I again. If that rocket can achieve orbit, then the next decade may see a whole lot more spacecraft flying overhead.

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SpaceX Completes Merlin Qualification, Slips Falcon 9 Launch
By Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides February 28, 2008  
SpaceX's updated Merlin 1C rocket engine (it's now regeneratively cooled instead of ablatively cooled like the Merlin 1A used on Falcon 1's first two launch attempts) has just passed its qualification testing in McGregor, Texas. After a final "marathon run" of four full mission scenarios run in one day, the engine now has 27 minutes of operating time, enough to power ten complete space flights. The engine will now go into full-scale production mode, clearing the way for the Falcon 1 launch scheduled for Spring 2008.
Testing will continue on the Merlin 1C to qualify it for the higher performance and thrust levels required for the Falcon 9 vehicle. The Falcon 9, originally scheduled for its maiden flight at the end of this year, will now launch second quarter 2009. This also pushes out the first demonstration of cargo transfer to the International Space Station, as part of NASA COTS program, to Spring 2010.
(And yes, the Falcon is named after the Millennium Falcon.)
The Falcon 1 uses one Merlin 1C engine for its first stage, while the Falcon 9 uses nine of them for its first stage, and one for its second stage.

When asked why the Falcon 9 launch was slipping six months, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said:
I can't honestly point to any one thing. It is an array of things. Structural qualification, software and hardware testing, we have to complete it all for Dragon and for the Falcon 9, and prove it to the NASA folks.
Still, if SpaceX can demonstrate safe cargo transfer to the International Space Station with their Dragon capsule by the time the Space Shuttle is retired near the end of 2010, they will be in a good position to win the competitively awarded re-supply contracts of the International Space Station that is part of Phase 2 of the NASA COTS program.
With Orbital now is the COTS competition with them however, we will have to see who will get to ISS first, the Cygnus or the Dragon...