Boeing, SpaceX Win $900 Million in Awards for Spacecraft

Brendan McGarryAug 03, 2012 2:04 pm ET

(Updates with professor’s comment, Alliant loss and NASA press conference beginning in third paragraph.) Aug. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. won $900 million in contracts from NASA to develop spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts, the agency said. Boeing received a $460 million award, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a press release today. SpaceX, led by billionaire Elon Musk, got a $440 million agreement, and Sierra Nevada Corp. won $213 million.

SPACE OPS BOARD MEMEBER AL REISZ RECEIVES AIAA 2011 HERMANN OBERTH AWARD

HONOREE FOR 2010-2011: Aloysius "Al" Reisz

Mr. Reisz has over thirty years experience in the engineering of aerospace and industrialsystems as President of Reisz Engineers. He has provided engineering design, development and consulting services to industrial corporations and government agencies. The government agencies include NASA, The Tennessee Valley Authority, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Army Missile Command, the US Department of Interior, and the Southern Naval Facilities Command. Mr. Reisz has engineered, consulted and served in an advisory capacity on projects that include the International Space Station, missile systems, power plants, airports and industrial processes. His industrial clients have been in the automotive, aerospace, and chemical sectors. He currently is managing the Reisz Engineers effort in designing, developing and testing an improved in-space electric propulsion system. This project was recently a NASA Phase I and Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer Research program with the University of Michigan. The Reisz Engineers – University of Michigan team recently received recognition from NASA for the high-quality research in developing and delivering this experimental propulsion system. The North Alabama Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers recognized this electron cyclotron resonance engine for the Mechanical Engineering Achievement Award for 2008.

SPACE OPERATIONS, INC. ANNOUNCES ORBITAL MANNED COMMERCIAL SPACECRAFT OPERATIONAL BY 2026

“Eclipse” Spacecraft another milestone for America’s Rocket City

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  – Space Operations, Inc. founded in 2011, announced plans to build a two-seat manned orbital spacecraft for commercial and government use. The company plans a test launch in 2025, with a regular flight schedule beginning in late 2026 or early 2027 depending on availability of funding.

The Eclipse spacecraft will utilize the highly successful legacy Gemini technology that was developed by NASA to allow SOI to bring this product to market in a very short time frame. “We will incorporate modern materials and the latest proven technologies into the design to improve performance. This design was flown successfully 13 times back in the sixties, 10 of those missions were manned,” said James Hopkins, the company CTO.

“The technology will allow for making land recoveries and quick refurbishment of the capsule for reuse in future missions,” said Hopkins. In addition to the crew, the Eclipse will be able to carry up to 40,000 pounds of cargo into orbit. The company will utilize the services of other commercial rocket manufacturers, such as Spacex, to launch the spacecraft.

“America needs a manned space flight capability based here in the U.S. now, not in four or five years,” said Craig Russell, company CEO. A former Air Force pilot and retired airline pilot, Russell has been developing the business model for five years. “We rely on a top contractor and sub-contractors to build the vehicle.

The company will use the spacecraft to service different sectors in the orbital space market including satellite servicing and repair, satellite deployment, space tourism, space station construction/re-supply, and space debris de-orbit.

The company is seeking investors who are interested in commercial orbital space flight as well as individuals and businesses who will purchase seats on the first few flights. “The purpose of the first few missions will depend on who is first to put a deposit on the seats,” said business director Gattis. “We are going to space in 2026, and we’re looking for others to go with us.”

About Space Operations, Inc.: Space Operations Inc. (SOI) is located in Madison, Alabama near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. For more information visit their company website at www.SpaceOperationsInc.com