Briefs: Bigelow hi-res pics; Ares/Orion road [Update]; Orbital's ISS optimism

Bigelow Aerospace posts new hi-resolution Images

Engineers at Bigelow Aerospace have tweaked the exterior cameras of Genesis II to provide a higher-definition picture. The results, seen here, show a colorful and vivid view of our Earth home. The crisp images give a sense that you're flying at more than four miles per second right along with Genesis II.

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NASA Spaceflight.com outlines the road ahead for the Ares I/Orion project: Constellation Challenges - test and flight schedules under pressure - NASA SpaceFlight.com

[Update: Comments on this article by Rand Simberg: PR
Stunt Delayed - Transterrestrial Musings - Apr.18.08]
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Orbital Sciences, which just had a strong quarter, has expanded

by 50 percent the annual revenue and launch rate it expects from its Taurus 2 rocket based on business carrying supplies to the international space station, Orbital Chief Executive David W. Thompson said April 17. The new estimate is four to five launches per year and $300 million in annual revenue starting in 2012 or 2013

Orbital Grows More Bullish on Taurus 2 Business - Space News/Space.com [subscription required].

According to the info here, the Taurus II can deliver 2300kg of cargo to the ISS. If we use $60M per flight, that comes to $26k/kg or $11.8k/lb.

The Dragon can deliver 2500 kg to the ISS. The prices I see on the SpaceX website are not specific to ISS delivery but if, for the sake of argument, I use the LEO price of $36.75M, then this gives $14.7k/kg or $6.7k/lb.

Posted 04/17/08 | 20:56:27 by TopSpacer | Filed under: General

Comments

Note the prices now quoted by SpaceX assume the upper stage (at minimum) is reused, contrary to often quoted remarks from Musk and others at the company. There is an additional ten million dollar charge to customers if the stage is required to be expended. Since reuse of such a stage is very questionable, the real price of an F9 is probably closer to $50M, without taking into account the cost of the Dragon hardware flown and-or expended.

Posted by Recount at 04/17/08 21:32:43

@Recount:

Do you have a source for the claim that the prices assume reusability?

Posted by Anonymous at 04/18/08 00:49:50

In their recent "Lunar Capability Guide" SpaceX states that lunar missions using Falcon 9 will cost an additional $10 million above the $36.75 million base price because the second stage will not be recovered.

Therefore the stated price for launches to LEO does assume recovery of the second stage.

Posted by James at 04/18/08 02:30:36

Interesting about the Bigelow pictures, if you look at the two labeled "Clear View of Cabo" and "High above in High-Res" you can see the exterior projector mounted on the right side solar panel.

Posted by Jim at 04/18/08 09:57:45

SpaceX has announced ISS-specific launch pricing at conference presentations. At IAC last September a Falcon 9 / Dragon cargo launch to ISS was priced at $75M. At the FAA AST conference in February the same launch is now priced at $90M. The prices posted on the SpaceX website are for commercial satellite launch services.

I would be very surprised if a Taurus II ISS launch came in for less than $90M or $100M.

Posted by Chuck Lauer at 04/19/08 11:15:16

Hi Chuck,
Thanks for the launch price info. I was just playing around with lower limit guesstimates. I know, for example, that the Orbital $300M revenue number would not include other charges to the customers like range fees, 3rd party insurance, etc. (Even though the cargo is NASA's, I assume the missions will nevertheless run like normal commercial flights.) Dividing by 5 would represent just the revenue per flight that reaches Orbital.

I also expect that with NASA as the customer, they can charge more than usual. I also assume there are lots of extra costs associated with delivery to the ISS that wouldn't apply to satellite launches.

- Clark

Posted by TopSpacer at 04/19/08 13:30:07

The Falcon 9 must fly in order to have a price.
As it currently is at least 2 years away from
the earliest possible launch, that price
quote is a joke.

Posted by anonymous at 04/20/08 17:27:01

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