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Spachab Advances Space Commerce; New Multipurpose Spacecraft in Development
Houston (SPX) Jul 14, 2005 Spachab used the occassion of this week's Shuttle launch to announce the company has initiated development of a fully commercial roundtrip delivery service to low earth orbit and beyond. This initiative is a natural next step for Spachab which has been a pioneer in space commerce for more than twenty years. As an example, NASA is scheduled to launch the first commercially developed and deployable component of the International Space Station onboard Space Shuttle Discovery - Spachab's Integrated Cargo Carrier. Known on the STS-114 mission as the External Stowage Platform 2, this pallet will be attached to the orbiting station where it will serve as a permanent spares warehouse. This accomplishment set the stage for Spachab to unveil the compnay's new capability for conducting business in space - a modular multipurpose spacecraft system dubbed Apex. Currently, the only method for transporting cargo and experiments to and from space are on government-owned spacecraft such as the space shuttle. The Apex system offers a means for accessing the unique environment of space through a private enterprise, further opening the door to a broader market. "Not only is Apex a viable option for commercially re-supplying the International Space Station," said Michael E. Bain, Spachab Chief Operating Officer. "It is also a flexible system that can act as an in-space resource module providing power, data, and thermal support or serve as an unmanned orbiting laboratory that brings experiment results safely back to earth." With Apex, customer requirements will drive the development of system capabilities, ensuring that there is a specific demand for a particular service before the appropriate vehicle configuration is built. Apex's patent pending design uses a uniquely modular, reconfigurable, largely reusable architecture. This architecture takes advantage of mature technologies and proven systems, making its service affordable for the user. Utilizing the compnay's extensive experience in transporting goods to space, Apex will, in large part, serve a customer base that Spachab is very familiar with, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the research community. Bain added, "Simply stated, the primary customer benefits of the Apex system are greater accessibility to space and increased capability in orbit, all at a reduced price." Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Spachab SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
Spicing Up Space Meals
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 04, 2006Since its launch a year and half ago, Minimus.biz has quickly become the place to go for individual and travel size items. Last week, NASA came to Minimus.biz and purchased several different travel size condiments to send with the astronauts to the International Space Station. |
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