Space Tourism … and Much More
Sierra Nevada Building On NASA Design
Aviation Week
The Colorado-based company is modeling Dream Chaser on the HL-20 lifting-body vehicle that NASA started as a potential International Space Station (ISS) crew rescue vehicle, which would have been able to transport a full station crew fleeing an emergency to a horizontal landing on runways anywhere in the world.
Continue reading ‘Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser Shuttle Based on Abandoned NASA Project’
Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser - a space shuttle designed for orbital flight and ISS servicing.
The $50 million in contract awards that NASA announced earlier this month will fund a number of approaches to commercial human spaceflight, including a new capsule and a small space shuttle. The space agency also spread out awards between newer, entrepreneurial companies and established aerospace giants.
Continue reading ‘NASA’s $50 Million Commercial Crew Investment to Fund Different Approaches’
SIERRA NEVADA PRESS RELEASE
Small, low cost, satellites that can be rapidly fielded to augment traditional large national security satellites continue to gain attention in a time of constrained military budgets.
Continue reading ‘Sierra Nevada: Smallsats Crucial to National Defense’
I’ve been reading Dan Linehan’s book, “SpaceShipOne: An Illustrated History.” It has some interesting history about the development of SpaceShipOne’s engine that seems to shed some light on the delays that Scaled Composites is having in developing the follow-on SpaceShipTwo vehicle.
Continue reading ‘How Much Did SpaceDev’s Absence Affect Virgin’s Space Tourism Plans?’
PRESS RELEASE
The newly formed Space Systems business area of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) will debut at the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs March 30th. The Space Systems business area was established in 2009 through the merger of SNC subsidiary, MicroSat Systems, and SpaceDev, which was acquired by SNC in late 2008.
Continue reading ‘Sierra Nevada Corp Unveils Space Systems Business Unit’
CNN has an interesting piece about eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship, a new incubator that is a collaboration between the University of Colorado and SpaceDev.
In a cavernous testing facility called the “Incubator,” specialized equipment recreates the unique conditions of a journey into space — from platforms that mimic the violent shaking at liftoff to chambers that replicate space’s bitter cold and complete vacuum.
Continue reading ‘eSpace Hopes to Ignite Entrepreneurial Space Ventures’
PRESS RELEASE
The University of Colorado at Boulder, a national leader in aerospace engineering, and SpaceDev Inc., a leading entrepreneurial space company located in Louisville, Colo., have partnered to create eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship. eSpace is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating new entrepreneurial space companies, commercializing aerospace technologies created within these companies and developing the aerospace workforce to support them.
Continue reading ‘SpaceDev, U of Colorado at Boulder Create eSpace Entrepreneur Center’
PRESS RELEASE
SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that privately held Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has completed the acquisition of SpaceDev by way of a merger of a wholly owned subsidiary of SNC into SpaceDev. As a result of the merger, SpaceDev is now a wholly owned subsidiary of SNC. Pursuant to the merger agreement, all shares of SpaceDev common stock outstanding at the effective time of the merger have been converted into the right to receive $0.72658 per share in cash.
Continue reading ‘Sierra Nevada Completes Acquisition of SpaceDev’
SPACEDEV PRESS RELEASE
SpaceDev, Inc. reported its financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008 with year to date revenues of approximately $28.3 million, an increase of over 11.6%, net income for the nine months of almost $500,000 and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $2.1 million for the same nine month period.
“We are fortunate to have the industry’s most outstanding employees and I would like to thank them for their dedication and hard work which enabled these results,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Continue reading ‘SpaceDev Reports Revenue Increase on Verge of Merger with Sierra Nevada’
SpaceDev agrees to be acquired
North County Times
Private space flight pioneer SpaceDev Inc. said Monday that it has agreed to be bought for $38 million, or 68 to 72 cents per share, by Sierra Nevada Corp., a privately held company based in Sparks, Nev.
The price represents a 42 percent to 50 percent premium to the average closing price of SpaceDev stock in the previous 30 trading days.
In over-the-counter trading Monday, SpaceDev shares closed at 42 cents, up 2 cents for the day. Announcement of the sale was made after markets closed.
SpaceDev Press Release
10 October 2008
SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that SpaceDev Founder and Board Member James Benson, 63, died peacefully in his home. Benson was diagnosed in 2007 with a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor, the cause of his death early this morning.
Mr. Benson had resigned from an operational role in SpaceDev in September 2006. He retained a seat on the Board of Directors of SpaceDev where he had continued to support the Company that he founded in 1997.
Continue reading ‘SpaceDev Founder Jim Benson Passes Away at 63′
SpaceDev Press Release
SpaceDev, Inc. recently completed its third significant milestone under the Space Act Agreement signed with NASA in June 2007; the Internal Space Vehicle Propulsion Module Preliminary Design Review (PDR). Milestone completion was approved after submission of materials to the NASA COTS office.
Continue reading ‘SpaceDev Reports Progress on Dream Chaser Spaceplane’
New Scientist has a look at SpaceDev’s Dream Chaser project, a lifting body space plane based on NASA’s abandoned HL-20 project that the company hopes to launch into orbit using an Atlas V rocket. Only part of the story is online; to read it all, a subscription is required.
Or you can check the SpaceDev website, which has this description of the project:
“SpaceDev is currently working in conjunction with NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) office to develop and configure the system for ISS servicing. In parallel, SpaceDev has signed a memorandum of understanding with United Launch Alliance (ULA) and is evaluating man-rating the Atlas 5 launch vehicle and configuring it for use with Dream ChaserTM to provide a launch configuration based on the exceptional heritage of the Atlas family of launch vehicles.”
SPACEDEV PRESS RELEASE
via Marketwire
18 August 2008
POWAY, CA– SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that it has signed a multi-year contract with Scaled Composites to assist Scaled in the development of a production rocket motor for the first commercial space vehicle designed for space tourism called SpaceShipTwo.
The vehicle is being designed by Scaled for Virgin Galactic and is part of a complete space system that also includes the recently unveiled WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft. The WhiteKnightTwo aircraft will ferry SpaceShipTwo and thousands of private astronauts, science packages and payloads as the first stage of Virgin Galactic’s sub-orbital space experience.
“We are thrilled to once again be part of the Scaled Composites/Virgin Galactic team and to be able to assist the team on this historic aviation and space endeavor,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, Chairman and CEO of SpaceDev. “Burt Rutan, Doug Shane and the Scaled team have yet again created an outstanding design that will be the first commercial venture to open space to large numbers of the public.”
Continue reading ‘SpaceDev Signs Rocket Motor Development Contract With Scaled Composites’
SPACE NEWS PRESS RELEASE
SpaceDev, Inc. reported its financial results for the year ending December 31, 2007 with revenue of $34.7 million, an increase of over $2 million from 2006. Gross Margin increased to over 25% of net sales, a gain of over 4 percentage points, and Income from Operations improved by over $1 million. Net loss was reduced by $700,000. The Company also experienced Adjusted EBITDA for the year of approximately $1.8 million, an increase of over $1.6 million from 2006.
“SpaceDev continued to show operational and financial progress in 2007,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We are remaining focused on building an integrated mid-market aerospace company. Despite unexpected conditions, such as the firestorms in San Diego last year that challenged us, we are progressing well as a company.”
Continue reading ‘SpaceDev Reports 2007 Year End Results: Revenue Up, Loss Reduced’
Spaceport America Wants to Hire Tour Guide Company
NMSA ANNOUNCEMENT
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) will be issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) on July 12 seeking bids for a contractor to provide regular sightseeing tours of the Spaceport America facilities and construction jobsite to the public. The NMSA wants to start regular weekend tour service as early as September 1, 2010. Prospective [...]
European Conference to Explore Suborbital Flight Regulations
A September conference in Leiden will focus on how Europe will regulate suborbital flights.
Whitehorn: British Airways “Dirty Tricks” Pushed Virgin Group to Explore Space
BA “dirty tricks” pushed Virgin into space – Whitehorn
MEETTHEBOSS.TV
Virgin’s latest plans to push travellers into space was the direct result of what Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn calls Brtish Airways “dirty tricks” campaign of 1993.
Speaking exclusively to MeetTheBoss.tv in London, Whitehorn said the actions of the airline immediately inspired Virgin to seek [...]
