In 2011, when the Space Shuttle Atlantis made its final flight, America marked the end of an era of publicly funded space exploration. But while the iconic winged spacecraft that had symbolized U.S. dominance in space for 30 years was retired to various museums, the journey did not stop with Atlantis. A year later, following the successful flight of Dragon, SpaceX picked up the baton and is now carrying NASA’s legacy forward. While SpaceX benefitted from sizeable chunks of NASA funding, Elon Musk still spent a significant share of his private fortune developing the Falcon family of launchers, the Dragons, and seeing his company through some tight spots along the way. The successes of the Falcon 9 and the Dragons undoubtedly represent a watermark in spaceflight history, ushering in the beginning of a new era when private companies, rather than governments, will challenge the ‘final frontier’.
The Rise of SpaceX
Springer Praxis Books(formerly: Springer-Praxis Series)
2022-05-12
8 pages
Aufsatz/Kapitel (Buch)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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