Space X looking good to deliver

[radioactive]

I have just had Space X Press office inform me that they are pleased to annouce they are still set to deliver their rockets as ordered and on time

SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles intended to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With its Falcon line of launch vehicles, SpaceX is able to offer a light, medium and heavy lift capability, delivering spacecraft into any inclination and altitude, from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous transfer orbit to interplanetary missions.

As winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competition, SpaceX will conduct three flights of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for NASA. This will culminate in Dragon berthing with the International Space Station and returning safely to Earth. When the Shuttle retires in 2010, Falcon 9 / Dragon will have the opportunity to replace the Shuttle in providing both up and down transportation services to the Space Station.

The full SpaceX mission manifest extends into 2011 and lists nine customers on twelve flights, including three demonstration flights of SpaceX’s new Dragon spacecraft for NASA as part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competition.

[Sam]

This is good news - reducing the cost of space flight is going to give us more opportunities to "shuffle off this mortal [planet]".

[barkis]

This is good news - reducing the cost of space flight is going to give us more opportunities to "shuffle off this mortal coil".

You really want to die? Surely not.

[Sam]

Good point! - it does have a rather morbid ring to it. , I've edited it now.

[Paxo]

A little aside, several years ago I was approached by the tv production company endemol (channel 4)regarding a series of television programmes they were producing on astronomy and the universe. One of the programmes was going to be dedicated to the fact that we were all made of star stuff, and the culmination of the programme was to be the sending into space of the ashes of an eminent scientist.

What they wanted from me was the names of some eminant scientists that may be willing to takepart in the programme. The young lady researcher was alittle taken aback when I told her that she would find difficulty finding someone......Why? she asked, so I had to explain that it would appear, following her description, they had to die to create a little television 'irony'............we left it there.

Sorry of this hijacked the post a bit, it seemed as good a place as any to add.