Space Tourism … and Much More
BRISTOL SPACEPLANES PRESS UPDATE
A new paper by Bristol Spaceplane’s David Ashford entitled ‘The Aviation Approach to Space Transportation‘ has been published this month in the August 2009 of the Aeronautical Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Continue reading ‘Bristol Spaceplanes Advocates Aviation Approach to Spaceflight’
Bristol Spaceplane's HPD engine test in the Mojave.
BRISTOL AEROSPACE PRESS UPDATE
Bristol Spaceplanes has carried out a strapdown test firing of the HPD (Hydrogen Peroxide Demonstrator) sounding rocket that will be used to test in flight a development version of the Ascender rocket engine.
The test was entirely successful. The engine is based on UK heritage technology and the production version uses hydrogen peroxide and kerosene as the propellants. The test engine is a development version that uses hydrogen peroxide only. The exhaust products are steam and oxygen, which is why there is no flame. A nose cone and fin will be added before the HPD rocket will be launched.
Reporter Chris Bond looks at the current state of space tourism in this article in England’s Yorkshire Post newspaper. The article focuses mainly on Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic company, but it also includes a bold prediction from David Ashford of Bristol Spaceplanes:
“My projection is that we could have one million people going into space in the next 15 years. Once the programme gets underway costs will come down quite rapidly, perhaps down to as little as a few thousand pounds.”
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