Launch

Today, SpaceX will be the 1st private company to try to send humans to space

Wednesday, May 27, 2020 by Snacks
_Wondering if this thing has Ludicrous Mode_

Wondering if this thing has Ludicrous Mode

To infinity, and Elon'd!... Cancel your Netflix plans — we’re tuning into NASA Live. Today at 4:33 PM ET, SpaceX plans to launch its first ever human passengers into space on the Crew Dragon (sounds like an EDM DJ — actually a reusable spacecraft). The Elon Musk-founded and CEO'd space company (valued at around $36B) is making history:

  • For the first time ever, a private spacecraft (aka, not gov-owned) will be sending people to space — the Crew Dragon was developed by SpaceX as part of a NASA initiative to get companies' help with sending people to the International Space Station.
  • For the first time in almost 10 years, astronauts will be launched into orbit from US soil. SpaceX has spent six years prepping for this moment — last year, the Crew Dragon successfully made it to the ISS (without humans onboard).

Soyuz saying you don't need us?... Since 2011, NASA astronauts have bummed rides to the space station on Russia’s Soyuz capsule, paying a neat $80M/passenger (no SpaceMiles program yet). So NASA awarded billions to SpaceX and Boeing to develop a non-Russian-government option. SpaceX finished first.

THE TAKEAWAY

One small step for man, one giant leap for capitalism?... If the intrepid launch goes well, Elon's dream of colonizing Mars (or, at least, commercializing space travel) may not be so far-flung.

  • Today, "space customers" mainly consist of governments paying to launch cargo, satellites, and people into space.
  • In the not-so-distant future, space companies hope to service commercial customers — Virgin Galactic already sold spaceflight tickets for $250K.
  • One day, space tourism could be a major profit puppy for companies — timeshare on Mars?
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