[Voption]

The U.S. continued its transition from a government-owned and controlled rocket industry to one owned and controlled by private companies. This is highlighted by SpaceX’s 18 launches in 2017, which is historic in that it is the most launches in a single year by any private company ever in the entire history of space. Prior to the 1970s there was no private rocket industry. Every rocket built and launched was essentially designed by the U.S. government with different parts, engines, and stages contracted out to different companies. Moreover, before 1970 there were only a tiny handful of commercial launches. In the 1970s these numbers rose, and privately owned rockets began to launch these new private geosynchronous commercial satellites, but the numbers never rose so high as to match SpaceX’s total in 2017.

[deadrock]

[deadrock]

[GoldenState_Rose]

Read it...and cautiously ask: Is USA winning? Do we have a comfortable enough lead? Or are we still playing catch up from years of wasted time...is NASA going to re-blossom or is it just SpaceX/private companies now?

[marktwain]

This is an excellent article on the state of space industialization.

Thank you for posting it. Most informative.

I found it well worth reading.

[Vince Ferrer]

With Spacex's reusable rockets proving themselves, the problem is no longer rockets, it is having enough things ready to launch to fill the launch capacity Falcon Heavy and BFR provides. The only company ready for this is Bigelow, which makes inflatable space station modules.

The current International Space Station was built using 40 flights of the shuttle and other launch vehicles. A new space station 80% of the size of the ISS can be launched with two BFR launches and two of the largest Bigelow modules, costing probably 5% of the ISS.

We are not hurting in the launch department. We need to build places to go, like moon bases, bases on Mars and the Asteroid belt.

[Ozark Tom]

SPS beamed power LCOE of $30-$50 megawatt at BFR projected cost to orbit.

https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-04/nasa-wants-flower-inspired-satellite-array-beaming-solar-power-down-earth