SpaceX to Build Port of L.A. Facility for Big Falcon Rocket

Space exploration has been a topic of interest for the past several decades of human history, ever since humans first figured out some of the mysteries of rocket propulsion. From the Space Race to landing on the Moon to the International Space Station, so much effort and many resources have gone into traveling space and learning more about it. Within the past decade or so, the United States government elected to put an end to their space exploration program, citing budget concerns. Fortunately for the industry, a private company called SpaceX stepped in and is now working on the rocket ship that may one day take humans to Mars. According to Samantha Masunaga's L.A. Times article, the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners unanimously voted this week to allow SpaceX to build a facility at the Port of L.A. where they will be working on their latest BFR rocket-spaceship combination project.

While the project isn't expected to start for at least 2 to 3 years, it is expected to provide many new jobs in the area. The lease will be for 10 years, with options for 20 or 30, at SpaceX's preference, and rent for the 19 acres of land will be over $1 million per year. SpaceX will also be given the ability to get the rental rate lowered by making significant improvements to Terminal Island, where the Port is located, in the first 20 years of operating there.

The BFR, which stands for Big Falcon Rocket, is expected to be the largest and most advanced rocket of the generation. At 340 feet tall and 35 feet in diameter, SpaceX plans to use the rocket to replace their current go-to, the Falcon 9, for the eventual colonization of Mars as well as for trips to the Moon. The first phase of construction has been planned, involving an 80,000 square foot "hangar-like" building. In the second phase, the facility will be expanded to 200,000 square feet. And, all the while, SpaceX's 40-person design and production team will be working on plans for the actual rocket itself.

The government's decision to grant SpaceX access to the land on Terminal Island seems to fit the right balance. Even though it was great for national pride, the space program had to be shut down because it simply wasn't affordable anymore. By facilitating the efforts of a private company to explore outer space, the government is simultaneously remaining involved in the exploratory effort, enabling the clean-up and improvement of Terminal Island, and is bringing in some revenue, rather than taking a deficit in regards to outer space. Perhaps there are other industries that would be better served by a partnership between the government and private industries.

***************************************************************************************************
Find out more about us at www.sepulvedaescrow.net. Any Questions? Contact our Escrow Expert! Sepulveda Escrow Corporation (818) 838-1831. Follow our company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

**************************************************************************************************

NASA and SpaceX Join Forces for Space Travel and Exploration

Even though NASA and SpaceX are both aiming to reach Mars and do more moon exploration in the coming years, they do not see themselves as competitors in the space travel industry. In fact, it is quite the contrary: NASA relies on SpaceX for cargo and astronaut delivery when its budget has been decreased and SpaceX relies on NASA for its technical experience and expertise. Neither one is likely to succeed in their space-based aspirations without the other. In Samantha Masunaga's L.A. Times article, she discusses some of the ways the relatively new company and the government agency work together to make their goals a reality.

NASA's budget today is approximately half of what it was in the 1960s, at the peak of the Space Race. So, in order to make delivery runs to the International Space Station or perform other space exploration, NASA has been working with SpaceX over the past several years to combine funding and experience. In 2006, SpaceX was chosen to help develop the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon space capsule. About half the funding came from NASA and the other half from SpaceX, but it was the connection to NASA and the ability to work with experienced aerospace experts that helped SpaceX to grow so quickly.

In getting contracts with NASA to deliver equipment and people to the ISS, SpaceX gained massive credibility that would have taken much longer to develop any other way. NASA was able to get a private company's help in filling in their shrinking budget, especially as the space program was closed down, and SpaceX was able to build on their knowledge and become well-known in the industry as the main company in the private sector with such a close association with NASA. Today, SpaceX and Boeing are the two main contractors for shuttling astronauts to and from the ISS. Even if SpaceX is investing some of its own money in such missions, it makes sense, because the company gains popularity through being in the public eye.

Other private companies are getting in on the space exploration industry, but none on the same level as SpaceX. Blue Origin is doing research and development on lunar landers to be able to send deliveries to the moon. Virgin Orbit, a split-off from Virgin Galactic, is working on designing and building satellites. NASA, since the closing of the space program, has taken on the role of "development catalyst," encouraging and helping other companies to be able to break into the space exploration industry. It's a good strategy. By combining with other, newer companies with more funding, they will likely be able to one day succeed in some goals like the landing of humans on Mars, a mission that as of now seems improbable at best. With enough research and technological innovation, as well as teamwork between disciplines and companies, it could be a possibility in the years to come.

***************************************************************************************************
Find out more about us at www.sepulvedaescrow.net. Any Questions? Contact our Escrow Expert! Sepulveda Escrow Corporation (818) 838-1831. Follow our company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

**************************************************************************************************