What is your thought on private space flight.

[beancounter]

There is no reason why the US is in this mess. How could big powerful country not have a way to get into space .

Why no rocket before SLS goes in service or give more money so SLS goes in service much faster.

More money wont speed up the failure that is the Senate Launch System. All it will do is make the date of cancellation sooner and the bill to the taxpayers bigger. We need to recognise that NASA is as incapable of building a new launch system as Washington DC is incapable of functioning as a national government, and end the misery for both organizations.

Yes have to agree.  All the evidence so far points to the SLS and I would also say MPCV being cancelled.  That leaves the commercial companies and of those it would appear that Boeing and SpaceX are the two most likely to get somewhere in the next couple of years.  That said, if CCDev converts to FAR based acquisition, then it's likely to be longer and more costly. 
One thing I've mentioned previously as an outside possibility is SpaceX leaving NASA and going it alone on HSF with Dragon Crew.  This would be aimed squarely at Bigelow complexes where licencing would require FAA approval, not NASA.  Boeing already is working with Bigelow however they've previously said they need government funding to make their business case.  Well they've got a bit so it could happen.
As I say, outside chance but better than no chance.

[nec207]

Cargo late this year or early next.
People depends 2015 is probably the best year. Space X is aiming for 2013, but I will bet they will take until 2015. Boeing and Dream Chaser are both aiming for this year too.

Some one may want to update the dates on this has they are all making very fast progress now and the dates may be closer than 2015.

I read that this year Space X is going to being going to the ISS.

I also read in the news that there are some new private companies that are just getting in on this now to compete and also get NASA contracts.

May want to talk about this too.

[Jason1701]

Cargo late this year or early next.
People depends 2015 is probably the best year. Space X is aiming for 2013, but I will bet they will take until 2015. Boeing and Dream Chaser are both aiming for this year too.

Some one may want to update the dates on this has they are all making very fast progress now and the dates may be closer than 2015.

I read that this year Space X is going to being going to the ISS.

I also read in the news that there are some new private companies that are just getting in on this now to compete and also get NASA contracts.

May want to talk aboy this too.

On the contrary, none of the providers is now expected to be earlier than 2017, and that will likely slip further when Congress halves CC again this year.

[nec207]

Can you elaborate ? If I understand they are doing testing .

And the news picture them going in space very soon.

[david1971]

They will hopefully do multiple trips to ISS as a cargo ship this year.

Humans are a whole other story...

[Voyager4DK]

Can you elaborate ? If I understand they are doing testing .

And the news picture them going in space very soon.

Yes, SpaceX is going to ISS this year,  but only with there cargo version of there Dragon space capsule. They still need to do life support, LES and full automatic docking with ISS.
They could be ready way before 2017, but it depends on how much testing and paperworks they need to do.

The other companies haven't even completed the full testing of there pressure vessel, so they can't be ready before 2015 at the earliest, 2017 is more likely.

[Jason1701]

How do you know SpaceX could fly crew "way before 2017?" They are ahead of their competitors in some ways but not all.

[Robotbeat]

How do you know SpaceX could fly crew "way before 2017?" They are ahead of their competitors in some ways but not all.

Their competitors (Boeing and SNC) also claim to be able to fly "way before 2017."

2017 is supposed to be the initial capability to NASA for ISS crew rotation. AFTER a few manned test flights to orbit (starting in the 2015 timeframe).

Of course, that won't be possible if Congress keeps low-balling the commercial crew budget.

[jongoff]

How do you know SpaceX could fly crew "way before 2017?" They are ahead of their competitors in some ways but not all.

Their competitors (Boeing and SNC) also claim to be able to fly "way before 2017."

2017 is supposed to be the initial capability to NASA for ISS crew rotation. AFTER a few manned test flights to orbit (starting in the 2015 timeframe).

Of course, that won't be possible if Congress keeps low-balling the commercial crew budget.

It should also be noted that the date most talked about for SLS/Orion is the date of the first unmanned demo launch, while the date talked about for commercial crew is the date of its entering operational service. But they're both in 2017, so that must mean that commercial crew is an expensive, bloated, behind-schedule handout to Obama's commercial space cronies...

~Jon

[Rahkashi]

I have honestly never been a fan of private MANNED spaceflight. I think that manned spaceflight is still in its infancy, and it needs to be handled by a government agency. I think it's fine for satellites, but not for manned spacecraft.

If NASA didn't provide all this money for CCDev, we could have SLS flying sooner.

[Tony Ostinato]

the nice thing about private is that its private. that means it can keep going thru different administrations.

too often these administrations just drop everything. they just take their ball and go home.

tho losing nasa funding wouldnt help spacex theyd still be around and moving forward even if at a snails pace.

[QuantumG]

I have honestly never been a fan of private MANNED spaceflight. I think that manned spaceflight is still in its infancy, and it needs to be handled by a government agency. I think it's fine for satellites, but not for manned spacecraft.

A 50 year infancy?

If NASA didn't provide all this money for CCDev, we could have SLS flying sooner.

That's simply nonsense, and CCDev isn't private spaceflight.

[SpaceGeek123]

Its finally getting to the point where a private mission to the Moon or Mars or Venus or the Asteroids are becoming achievable. But it won't be for profit. Space is for those who live for hope, not a quick buck. There are far safer ways to make profit on earth than in space. After 55 years of orbital space-flight (and 70 years after the first suborbital flight on the V-2) the only for profit ventures in space are either serving Governments, serving the rich elite "1%" or satellites. For profit is slowly expanding into orbit and sub-orbit (virgin galactic, bigelow aerospace) and they may open space to a few more people but they not open the space frontier.

However governments or non-profits have done far more. We have sent multiple probes to all the planets, built multiple space-stations, sent multiple manned missions to the Moon, and sent 5 probes to the stars (voyagers, pioneers and new horizons), have sent messages to the stars, created large machines to listen for signals and even built solar sails.

 

[nec207]

They will hopefully do multiple trips to ISS as a cargo ship this year.

Humans are a whole other story...

So everyone else is going for 2015/2016 and SpaceX and virgin galactic is going for 2013?

[QuantumG]

Some private rocketry, that may soon - we hope - be used for private spaceflight:

[nec207]

I have honestly never been a fan of private MANNED spaceflight. I think that manned spaceflight is still in its infancy, and it needs to be handled by a government agency. I think it's fine for satellites, but not for manned spacecraft.

Why do you say that ? The US and USSR was making leaps and bounds doing the cold war and now look at both countries the past 15 year and very much so 10 years is like living in hell.

The US space program and Russian space program is going no where . All the cool programs in the 80's and 90's got cut.

Now if you talking about space probes and search for other earth like planets and understanding the universe that is other story .The search for other earth like planets are going by leaps and bounds in past 5 years that probably in 10 yaers from now will find living life forms in space.

All the different rocket propulsion of the 80's and 90's got cut like al the x-programs  , laser propulsion ,ion propulsion  ,plasma propulsion and electric magnet propulsion so on that this only tip of the iceberg of programs in the 80's and 90's that got cut do to lack of money.

[beancounter]

They will hopefully do multiple trips to ISS as a cargo ship this year.

Humans are a whole other story...

So everyone else is going for 2015/2016 and SpaceX and virgin galactic is going for 2013?

You're mixing up sub-orbital (VG) with orbital (SpaceX).  VG is people and SpaceX is cargo via COTS-C.
For heaven's sake do some research.  It's not that hard.  If you can write this well surely you can read better.

Wrt SLS/MPCV v's Commercial Crew, the dollars are billions off.  Commercial crew is getting a 'maybe' $850 million max.  MPVC has had what 3 maybe 4 billion, that's right, billion dollars spent to date with no flight hardward built or tested. 

SLS/MPCV are both governement controlled and funded.  FAR contracts.

Of the commercial crew, Blue Origin have had a couple of sub-orbital test flights (and lost a vehicle) while SpaceX has launched to leo and return their Dragon Cargo spacecraft on which they're basing their Dragon Crew spacecraft.  Neither Boeing or XCOR have tested any hardware in flight.

[Robotbeat]

XCOR has tested their small, manned (subsonic) rocket racer, though, so they do have recent experience with building, testing, and operating a manned rocket-propelled vehicle a lot like the Lynx (but much less performance) with several flights in a day. They will probably get airborne with Lynx this year.

[happyflower]

As my frustration with Congress builds sometimes late at night when I am tired of political B.S. I think to myself, what if Elon just closes shop in the US, takes all of his engineers and goes to Brazil and start commercial space program there.

Bypass this insane Congress completely. Let them dump as many billions they want into the Senate Launch System and play the violin as Rome burns down.

But then as the Sun rises the next morning I take a deep breath and hope that things will change for the better here. What can I say I am an optimist.

[pippin]

Who's going to pay Elon's engineers down in Brazil, who so far live exclusively off US gov business?