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)
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