Spacex Research Paper

SpaceX

I have always taken an interest in space travel and what lies beyond or observable universe, or even in it. The private sector company I have chosen for this paper is SpaceX. Currently, this company deals in space transport with an end goal of reducing costs and ultimately, the colonization of Mars. Being that I am highly interested in building mechanical engines, rockets, or anything really that has to do with combustion, SpaceX is currently the leader in making the strongest rockets available, while still managing to maintain a lower cost than their competition. I believe that life on Mars is a possible scenario and with the human species slowly killing off the planet with not much hope in the distant future, a very much necessary

Under a contract of $2.6 billion, SpaceX will continue to get the bulk of its money from NASA while continuing to develop their rockets. The competition is mostly European, with the two companies Arianespace, and International Launch services, have held a monopoly on space travel since the U.S. has removed itself from the industry in the 1980’s. As well as the current NASA contract, SpaceX has a $200 billion satellite industry with a 40-launch sequence set through the year 2018. SpaceX is currently headquartered in Hawthorne, California, and employs a total of 1,500 people. Its facility is an old factory that used to produce fuselage pieces for Boeing 747 airplanes. This is where parts for the Falcon 9 boosters, and the cone-shaped Dragon capsule that a year ago was the first commercial spacecraft to go into orbit and come back. What really makes this company shine are its prices: On the companys website it is advertised that Falcon 9 launch costs around $57 million, which adds up to a little less than $2,500 per pound to be put into orbit. As you can, that is quite a big difference than the $10,000 quote earlier stated. This year, Musk claims that the next rocket called, the Falcon Heavy, will try to lower to cost to just $1,000 per pound. Many observers may ask the question of how exactly the costs are driven down, but the secret is yet to be revealed. The company does not file patents as to protect itself from copycats like China who could use the technology for themselves. Currently the aim is to build huge rockets that are capable of multiple flights in out of earth to near planets, Mars in this case. But this asks the question, if SpaceX is working on this technology at a lower price, why is Congress forcing NASA to continue developing the less capable Space Launch System for much more? Space claims that it will develop a