When I started to write this Blog entry on the first commercial space flight, I wanted to use the famous words from Astronaut Neal Armstrong and along the way, I learned an interesting fact. Through the use of modern techology, we have learned what Neil Armstrong really said versus what we thought we heard. So let me start with that..
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One small step for clarity
Researcher discovers that Neil Armstrong had not only the RIGHT IDEA, but the RIGHT WORDS
By MARK CARREAU Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
High-tech detective work apparently has found the missing "a" in one of the most famous phrases ever spoken.
Astronaut Neil Armstrong's first words from the surface of the moon on
July 20, 1969, now can be confidently recast, according to the
research, as "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
It is the more dramatic and grammatically correct phrasing that
Armstrong, 76, has often said was the version he transmitted to NASA's
Mission Control for broadcast to worldwide television.
With the technology of the 1960s, however, his global audience heard
his comment without the "a," making it "That's one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind."
To read the entire article by Mark Carreau in the Houston Chronicle.....
Today, SPACEX launced it's first commercial rocket into Orbit. To better understand SPACEEX, I found this press release....
NOTE: This is not SPACEEX!!!!
SPACEX WINS NASA COTS CONTRACT TO DEMONSTRATE CARGO DELIVERY TO SPACE STATION WITH OPTION FOR CREW TRANSPORT
El Segundo CA – August 18, 2006 – SpaceX announced that it was
selected by NASA to demonstrate delivery and return of cargo to the
International Space Station. At the option of NASA, the Agreement can
be extended to include demonstrating transport of crew to and from the
International Space Station (ISS). If successful, NASA will have the
ability to use the demonstrated capability to resupply the ISS after
the 2010 retirement of the Space Shuttle. The SpaceX team mates for
COTS include ARES Corporation, MDA Federal Inc., Odyssey Space Research
L.L.C., Paragon Space Development Corporation, and SPACEHAB, Inc.
As part of this Agreement, SpaceX will execute three flights of its
Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spaceship. These will be the first
flights of the Dragon spaceship and the fourth, fifth and sixth flights
of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
The missions are scheduled to occur in the late 2008 to 2009 time
period and will culminate in demonstrating delivery of cargo to the ISS
and safe return of cargo to Earth. The Dragon spaceship is designed
from the beginning to have an identical structure for both cargo and
crew transport, allowing for a rapid transition from unmanned to manned
flight as soon as reliability is proven.
"By stimulating the development of commercial orbital spaceflight,
the NASA COTS program will have the same positive effect on space
travel as the Air Mail Act of 1925 had on the development of safe and
affordable air transportation," said Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO. "Moreover,
the requirement for significant private investment and the fact that
NASA only pays for objective, demonstrated milestones ensures that the
American taxpayer will receive exceptional value for money."
About SpaceX
SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles intended to reduce the
cost and increase the reliability of both manned and unmanned space
transportation ultimately by a factor of ten. With its Falcon line of
launch vehicles, SpaceX is able to offer light, medium and heavy lift
capabilities, as well as deliver spacecraft into any inclination and
altitude, from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit to planetary
missions.
The Dragon spaceship is designed to transport up to seven
astronauts, as well as both pressurized and unpressurized cargo, to
Earth orbit and back. Dragon's universal docking adapter allows it to
interface with all current ISS docking/berthing systems, as well as
future systems under development.
To read the Press Release.....
SPACEX WINS NASA COTS CONTRACT TO DEMONSTRATE CARGO DELIVERY TO SPACE STATION WITH OPTION FOR CREW TRANSPORT
To quote the AP Press Article.....
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An Internet entrepreneur's latest effort to make
space launch more affordable paid off Sunday when his commercial
rocket, carrying a dummy payload, was lofted into orbit from the South
Pacific.
It was the fourth attempt by Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, to launch its two-stage Falcon 1 rocket into orbit.
"Fourth
time's a charm," said Elon Musk, the multimillionaire who started up
SpaceX after making his fortune as the co-founder of PayPal Inc., the
electronic payment system.
The rocket carried a 364-pound dummy payload designed and built by SpaceX for the launch.
"This
really means a lot," Musk told a crowd of whooping employees. "There's
only a handful of countries on Earth that have done this. It's usually
a country thing, not a company thing. We did it."
There a lot more to the AP article, I encourage you to read more...
SpaceX launches 1st commercial rocket into orbit
A lot of great technologies have entered our lives through the space program. Seeing a company like SPACEX making such advancements so quicky, is great news.
The picuture of the man on the Rocket it obviously not SPACEX.
Posted by Michael Corey
www.ntirety.com