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posted by martyb on Friday August 10 2018, @11:21PM   Printer-friendly
from the almost-there... dept.

NASA Announces New Partnerships to Develop Space Exploration Technologies

NASA is partnering with six U.S. companies to develop 10 "tipping point" technologies that have the potential to significantly benefit the commercial space economy and future NASA missions, including lunar lander and deep space rocket engine technologies.

Selections are based on the agency's third competitive Tipping Point solicitation, and have a combined total award value of approximately $44 million – a significant investment in the U.S. space industry.

A technology is considered at a "tipping point" if investment in a ground or flight demonstration will result in significantly maturing the technology and improving the company's ability to bring it to market.

The companies are Blue Origin, Space Systems/Loral, United Launch Alliance, Frontier Aerospace Corporation, Paragon Space Development Corporation, and Astrobotic Technology, Inc.

Also at Engadget.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 11 2018, @03:16AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 11 2018, @03:16AM (#720181)

    Lulz Runaway, don't be so melodramatic. It's literally one guy with a huge wad of cash running the whole show. All the me-toos now hopping on the bandwaggon just don't want to be left holding the bag when Musk really pulls it off.

    Don't get me wrong, Musk drawing out the governments of the world to finally get us as a species to a new frontier is one of the most admirable uses of a huge wad of cash I've ever seen. But it doesn't mean the people behind him are united - quite the contrary. It's just the usual collection of greedy (either in a capitalistic or an intellectual sense) assholes wanting their piece of the cake.

    It is not mankind that is moving into space. It's a mob running behind Musk, shrieking and fighting for the breadcrumbs he leaves in his trail. Sad, really. I have to admit I'd rather believe your version.

  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday August 11 2018, @05:13AM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday August 11 2018, @05:13AM (#720228) Journal

    At the end of the day, SpaceX is a launch provider. It may also become an ISP in a few years. It's not a Mars colonization company. A government would probably have to pay for that, at least in the initial years. SpaceX is unlikely to develop a lunar base, advance ion thruster technology, or mine asteroids. But they can help put assets on the Moon and launch spacecraft cheaply and at a high velocity.

    It's only a matter of time before the SpaceX reusability formula (fully realized as BFR) is copied by others. Blue Origin is developing a partially reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle (the 3-stage version of New Glenn). They don't even need to match SpaceX on price or capabilities since the US government demands redundant capabilities in case one fails. Once the reality of BFR sinks in, China, and maybe Europe, Russia, India, and others will begin working on their own fully reusable rockets.

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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 11 2018, @01:44PM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 11 2018, @01:44PM (#720298) Journal

    Mmmm-kay. Compare that collection of greedy assholes to the Euros who settled the Americas.