NASA intends to three years to refuse services for the delivery of Russian astronauts to the ISS. New ships for the United States to replace the retired space shuttle to be built Boeing and SpaceX. However, they have been conducting the development and almost reached the finish line. Washington allocates $ 6.8 billion for the completion of works.
The creation of a new ship for delivery to the American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on NASA will take the request to Boeing and SpaceX. Director of the United States space agency Charles Bolden announced Tuesday evening that their projects selected during the competition, which was also attended by other companies. Thus, States will be able to “abandon dependence on Russia for sending astronauts to the ISS.” Since 2011, when the United States refused to use the space shuttle – the shuttle to the space station astronauts brought the Russian “Soyuz”. “Ticket” for the astronauts on the ISS now worth $ 70 million.
The American space agency will allocate $ 4.2 billion to Boeing and another $ 2.6 billion – SpaceX, co-founder of which is a billionaire and ambitious engineer Elon Musk. Ready for launch vehicles, they must submit in 2017.
Statement Bolden was another attack against Russia, which worsened in the spring of this year.
Then NASA announced a reduction of joint programs and contacts between American and Russian experts in the space industry. In response, in May made Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. He said that Russia restricts supply rocket engines in the USA, covers the GPS stations on its territory and refuses to ISS operations beyond 2020.
A week later, Charles Bolden, a former astronaut himself and at the same time, Major General Marine USMC retired, spoke to the press at the International Air Show ILA Berlin Airshow 2014 and announced that after 2020, the United States may be able to solve the problem of sending astronauts to the ISS without the participation of Russia.
The current statement Bolden shows that States have already found a solution to the problem. Both NASA selected corporations already have almost completed projects, so that the allocated state funds intended for the finishing touches.
Just ten days after the speech Bolden at ILA Berlin Airshow 2014 Elon Musk presented its orbital taxi – manned capsule Dragon V2.
In the video showed how the ship will be docked to the ISS and return back to Earth. Among the new technologies – heat shield capsule, as well as thrusters, which help to slow down the decline of the ship during landing. Usually engines discarded as lifting spacecraft into orbit, but the engines are built in the Dragon Corps. The device will be able to land anywhere in the world without a parachute, including the water.
The inventor has always been obsessed with the idea to create a reusable spacecraft. “While we continue to throw missiles and space vehicles, we never get a real access to space. It will always be incredibly expensive, “- he said at the presentation. Second Dragon is reusable. “You just need to get fuel, and can fly again. This is essential for access to space, “- said Musk.
Mask is ready to hold its first flight Dragon V2 into orbit at the end of 2015 – without astronauts in automatic mode. A first test flight with humans on board could be held in 2016.
to deliver astronauts to the ISS ship will be ready in 2017, said Musk, complicating the task of its competitors – the company Boeing.
In early June, Boeing also showed their new ship with an encrypted name CST-100 (Crew Space Transportation and 100 km – height, beyond which begins space). In contrast to the gleaming ship mask resembling the inside of a futuristic “plate”, the shuttle from Boeing was more restrained. It is expected that one vessel may be used up to ten times. It will go down the old fashioned way – by parachute. Space capsule will be launched into space by a rocket Atlas 5, built in the United Launch Alliance, jointly by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. But in this module was designed from the outset so that, if necessary, be compatible with the other booster. As vice-president of John Mulholland, their ship will begin to experience in 2017.
After successful tests of new vehicles NASA will enter into an agreement with the companies to commit to six flights to the ISS.
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