Boeing's Full Ahead in Commercial Space - joins Virgin Galactic and reveals launch date

A new strategic partnership between Boeing and Virgin Galactic has been announced, as has the first launch date for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.Boeing is to invest 20 million dollars in Virgin Galactic and the two aerospace firms will collaborate on transformative global travel technologies, Virgin Group CEO Richard Branson said:
This is the beginning of an important collaboration for the future of air and space travel, which are the natural next steps for our human spaceflight programme.Virgin Group and Boeing share a vision of opening access to the world and space, to move people in safe and environmentally responsible ways.*
The Boeing investment involves acquiring shares in the soon to be merged Virgin Galactic and Social Capital Hedosophia, which is expected to close in Q4 2019.SCH is a Cayman islands shell company set up by venture capitalists in 2017 to take high value start-ups public.*
According to Brian Schettler, Senior Managing Director of Boeing HorizonX Ventures:
Our work with Virgin Galactic and others will help unlock the future of space travel and high-speed mobility.*
Adds Boeing Defense, Space and Security President and CEO Leanne Caret:
The unique expertise of our companies stretches from points all around the world to the deepest reaches of space.Together we will change how people travel on Earth, and among the stars, for generations to come.*
Among other projects, Virgin Galactic recently unveiled a contract with the Italian Air Force to carry a research payload into space on a VG SpaceShip Two spacecraft.*
For its part, Boeing has announced a launch date of 17 December 2019 for the uncrewed test flight of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, which will be launched on a ULA Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.The Starliner will dock with the ISS,stay about a week,then land by parachute on the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
On 4 November, the Starliner will execute an in-flight abort test of that critical safety system. Pending successful testing, Boeing plans to begin ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the ISS  in the Starliner next year.*
Virgin Galactic has successfully launched two crewed spaceflights-one in 2018,and the other in February 2019.*

Boeing (BA), Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp (IPOA) 

Boeing Names Spacecraft,Builds Access Tower

Boeing is building a commercial spaceflight crew access tower at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,Florida.It is for Boeing's new Crew Space Transportation-100 Starliner spacecraft.The tower will be a 7-tiered,permanent metal latticework structure at Space Launch Complex 41.More than 200 feet tall,the tower will take astronauts to the top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and level with the Starliner capsule.
In the end,we are going to have a very safe,very cost effective and very cost efficient way of getting astronauts back and forth to low earth orbit,according to former astronaut Chris Ferguson,director of Boeing Crew and Mission Operations.*
Boeing is under contract to transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station in the recently-named Starliner spacecraft.Similarly,SpaceX is under contract to complete the same task with its Dragon spacecraft.The companies are scheduled to begin the ISS astronaut ferry service in 2017.*
Boeing (BA).

Commercial Space Ambition:Boeing Aims For 2015 Date

Although some in the media portrayed the end of the space shuttle program as the end of U.S. manned space flight period,that is far from the case,if recent events mean anything.For example,Boeing has just signed a lease for an old space shuttle hangar at Kennedy Space Center,which Space Florida,a state economic development agency,is developing into a commercial spaceport.
Boeing will use the hangar space to construct its shuttle successor candidate,the CST-100,in hopes of being selected by NASA for International Space Station ferry service.The company says the new capsule will be ready by 2015.Within the next few months,it plans to begin remodeling the hangar for its own purposes.
The CST-100 is a large Apollo-type capsule that can carry up to seven astronauts or a combination of crew and cargo into Low Earth Orbit.It is compatible with a number of launch systems,including the Atlas V rocket.As well as ISS program use,it is also intended to ferry astronauts and cargo to a commercial space lab owned by Bigelow Aerospace.Unless Boeing wins a NASA contract,however,the CST-100 will be shelved.
Boeing says it designed,built and operated human and robotic space vehicles and their supporting hardware in the past,such as for the Gemini,Apollo,Skylab,Space Shuttle and ISS programs.Given this superb heritage,you have to believe the storied aerospace firm has the edge in building one of the space shuttle's successor vehicles for NASA's astronaut corps.
Boeing(BA)

Boeing Developing Space Capsule

Through its Space Exploration division,Boeing is developing a multiple use space capsule,the Boeing Crew Space Transportation-100.Boeing plans to use the CST-100 to transport crews to the International Space Station and future commercial Low Earth Orbit platforms.
The capsule can carry up to seven people.It can fly on multiple launch vehicles,and is expected to be operational by 2015.
In cooperation with Space Adventures,a Vienna,Virginia firm which has marketed spare seats on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft,Boeing plans to offer safe,affordable transportation to commercial spaceflight customers in the excess seating capacity of the CST-100.
These plans are contingent upon congrssional approval of funds for commercial space flight and Boeing's winning a NASA contract for astronaut transportation.Congress and the Obama administration are still wrangling over the future of NASA's manned spaceflight program.The space shuttle is to be retired next year.
Boeing(BA)