Orbital ATK's Successful Rocket Launch Enables it to Supply the ISS Again

The International Space Station (ISS) currently houses three astronauts: one each from Russia, Japan, and the United States. Those astronauts live and do research in the floating structure 250 miles above the Earth, and as such, need a steady supply of food and equipment to stay alive. Two years ago, on October 28, 2014, an unmanned Antares rocket from a company called Orbital ATK exploded on takeoff, destroying the rocket, launch pad, and the entire shipment of supplies. Fortunately, Orbital ATK seems to be making a return to the market. Just this week, as detailed in an article by the Associated Press of the L.A. Times, a newly rebuilt Antares rocket took flight, carrying over 5,000 pounds of food and other supplies for the astronauts on the ISS.

The rocket's flight was in view for watchers throughout the East Coast, as far north as Boston and as far south as Charleston.  Besides the fact that the renovations and repairs cost over $15 million, the engineers of Orbital ATK were very relieved when the rocket launch was successful. because it meant that they could get back into the business of supplying the ISS. Over the past two years, since Orbital ATK was out of commission, NASA's sole source of supplies was SpaceX. When the American space program first ended in 2011, government-owned shuttles were forced into retirement, which gave SpaceX and Orbital ATK room to take over.

Orbital ATK was doubtful about its ability to launch over the past few weeks, due mainly to the hurricane weather in the region, but the success of their rocket has brought the company back on track. Analysts expect that the next space-related venture to be commercialized will be flights to transport crew members of the ISS. NASA also hopes to get astronauts to Mars by the 2030s, which would mean the next goal for companies like SpaceX would be commercialized transport to Mars and other planets in the future. Orbital ATK's newly regained ability to send rockets into space has granted the company a spot in the competition for control of a future commercialized form of interplanetary travel.

The payload of supplies released by the Antares rocket, stored in a Cygnus capsule, is currently orbiting the Earth, waiting a few days before it will break free of the orbit and make it all the way to the space station. The reason for the delay is that a new crew of three astronauts is set to launch from Kazakhstan this week, and NASA wants to give them a little bit of time to get settled on the ISS before they have to immediately begin unpacking supplies and beginning the experiments. Especially because their last rocket exploded before it ever left the ground, many people were wary that a similar outcome could be expected this time. The success of Orbital ATK's rocket speaks volumes for their position in the future market of commercialized space transportation.

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Moon Express Decision Could Jump-Start Privately-Funded Space Exploration

On July 20, 1969, a team of astronauts including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history when they became the first humans to ever step on the moon. Ever since the late 1950s, the United States has been working on ways to explore our solar system and find out more about other galaxies. In 2011, the Space Program was discontinued, mainly because of the exorbitant costs and inherent danger present in space travel. Up until recently, private companies were still allowed to send up satellites into orbit for commercial and research applications. However, according to Samantha Masunaga's L.A. Times article, the US government may be preparing to grant permission for a company to send a spacecraft to the moon.

Until now, only countries have been allowed/able to conduct space missions beyond Earth's orbit. Moon Express, a Mountain View, California-based company, will set history if regulators grant them permission to send their MX-1 lander on the moon for a two-week operation. The Wall Street Journal seems confident that Moon Express will receive their approval from the Federal Aviation Administration within the next few weeks, potentially restarting the Space Program. In some ways, a Space Program run completely by private companies could be better than one run by the government. When the Space Program first started, it was mainly about national superiority and being the first country to achieve certain milestones, which meant that sometimes costs and risks took a backseat. For private companies, it will be mainly about profit, which means that they will certainly keep within specified budgets and will be more risk-averse.

While Moon Express has been pretty secretive about its major plans, it has released some information about what they're looking for on the moon. The MX-1 lander will be carrying out both scientific and commercial research. Moon Express will be partnering with a Los Angeles-based company called Rocket Lab and plans to blast off into space in 2017. The MX-1 and other moon landers will be looking for valuable resources such as platinum and rare earth elements, which scientists believe can be found on the moon and in asteroids. Another company, Planetary Resources, is looking to asteroids as a source of water that can be converted into rocket fuel.

One of the main regulatory issues standing in the way of Moon Express's exploration is the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which states that nongovernmental entities have to get approval from the US and Russia before performing activities in outer space. Experts believe that if Moon Express receives their expected approvals, however, it will set a precedent for future private commercial activity. Several companies dedicated to moon mining and asteroid mining have sprung up in recent years but have not held for very long, probably due to the high-cost, high-risk type of business. However, Moon Express has been generating significant interest in the world of commercial space exploration, and analysts expect this company may be the one to finally jump-start the industry.

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