Private spaceflight

For paying space tourists, see Space tourism. For general commercial use of space, see Commercialization of space.
"NewSpace" and "New space" redirect here. For other uses, see New Space.
Space missions conducted between 1957 and 2020, divided into state and private runs.
A juxtaposition of private (left) and public (right) spaceflight. From Kennedy Space Center LC-39, taken on April 6, 2022.
Left: SpaceX, with Falcon 9 for Axiom Mission 1
Right: NASA, with Space Launch System for Artemis 1

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Private spaceflight refers to spaceflight developments that are not conducted by a government agency, such as NASA or ESA.

During the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology in collaboration with affiliated design bureaus in the USSR and private companies in the US. They entirely funded both the development of new spaceflight technologies and the operational costs of spaceflight. Following a similar model of space technology development, the European Space Agency was formed in 1975.[1] Arianespace, born out of ESA's independent spaceflight efforts, became the world's first commercial launch service provider in the early 1980s.[2][3] Subsequently, large defense contractors began to develop and operate space launch systems, which were derived from government rockets.

Private spaceflight in Earth orbit includes communications satellites, satellite television, satellite radio, astronaut transport and sub-orbital and orbital space tourism. In the United States, the FAA has created a new certification called Commercial Astronaut, a new occupation.[1]

In the 2000s, entrepreneurs began designing—and by the 2010s, deploying—space systems competitive to the governmental systems[4][5] of the early decades of the space age.[6][7]: 7  These new offerings have brought about significant market competition in space launch services after 2010 that had not been present previously, principally through the reduction of the cost of space launch and the availability of more space launch capacity.[8]

Private spaceflight accomplishments to date include flying suborbital spaceplanes (SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo), launching orbital rockets, flying two orbital expandable test modules (Genesis I and II). On the opposite, launching astronauts to the International Space Station and certain satellite launches are performed on behalf of and financed by government agencies.

Planned private spaceflights beyond Earth orbit include personal spaceflights around the Moon.[1] Two private orbital habitat prototypes are already in Earth orbit, with larger versions to follow.[9] Planned private spaceflights beyond Earth orbit include solar sailing prototypes (LightSail-3).

  1. ^ a b c "Circumlunar mission". Space Adventures. 3 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  2. ^ Jaeger, Ralph-W.; Claudon, Jean-Louis (May 1986). Ariane — The first commercial space transportation system. Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science. Vol. 2. Tokyo, Japan: AGNE Publishing, Inc. (published 1986). Bibcode:1986spte.conf.1431J. A87-32276 13-12.
  3. ^ "Arianespace was founded in 1980 as the world's first launch services company". arianespace.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
  4. ^ Szondy, David (5 February 2012). "SpaceX Dragon's ultimate mission is Mars colonization". Gizmag. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012. For decades after that first launch, space flight was a government monopoly. Even when private companies started going into space in the 1990s, it was only as providers of launch services to send commercial and government satellites into orbit. Now, all that is changing as private enterprise takes over space exploration in a manner not seen since the early days of the Hudson's Bay Company.
  5. ^ Davenport, Christian (19 August 2016). "The inside story of how billionaires are racing to take you to outer space". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016. the government's monopoly on space travel is over
  6. ^ Oberg, James (January 2012). "Private Spaceflight: Up, Up, and Away". IEEE Spectrum. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  7. ^ Belfiore, Michael (2007). Rocketeers: how a visionary band of business leaders, engineers, and pilots is boldly privatizing space. New York: Smithsonian Books. ISBN 978-0-06-114903-0.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference tc20200818 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Special Announcement". bigelowaerospace.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2008.