Space is big. Really big. And until recently,
space exploration was a domain that only involved world governments, as they are the ones that had the capabilities and resources to undertake such a task. Even then,
only a select few can go launch to space, again, due to the time and money it takes to train them. Today, however, we are seeing several
non-governmental agencies and companies that aim to bring space travel down to the civilian level, using the advantages that private industry has to offer, such as less bureaucracy and a profit motive. In this post, we will show you
8 non-governmental spaceflight companies that aim to do just that and get you into space and among the stars.
1. Scaled Composites
Founded by
Burt Rutan, an aerospace engineer with a reputation for designing strong, lightweight aircraft with unusual designs, Scaled Composites aim is
to create experimental and concept aircrafts and provide fabrication for other vehicles. Its claim to fame is winning the Ansari X Prize, which offers $10,000,00 for the the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space, with their spaceplane,
SpaceShipOne. The spacecraft was
funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and he would later partner with Rutan to start a new spaceflight company. Scaled Composites was acquired in 2007 by Northrop Grumman, an aerospace and defence company, with Rutan leaving in 2011. It is now working with several others to develop new spacecrafts to progress civilian spaceflight.
2. Virgin Galactic
What pie doesn't the Virgin Group have their fingers in? Starting of with music and then wildly going to nearly
every type of venture imaginable,
[...]
No comments:
Post a Comment