SpaceDev

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SpaceDev was a publicly traded US company founded by Jim Benson and is associated with the space industry . It is known for its work in spaceflight and microsatellites.

CHIPSAT, the first satellite built by SpaceDev

The company is based near San Diego in Poway . The company's goal is to make routine, commercial space flights possible and thus open space to all of humanity.

In October 2008, SpaceDev announced that it had signed an agreement to sell the company to Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC).

Drive technologies

A hybrid rocket engine was designed and constructed for the SpaceShipOne built by Scaled Composites . In addition, micro and nano satellites and their own launch vehicle, called the Streaker , have been designed, but not yet built.

Dream chaser

On September 20, 2004, SpaceDev announced the collaboration with NASA for a space glider based on the Vision for Space Exploration plans. At that time the name Dream Chaser was already fixed, but the basic configuration was only available as a concept, especially since SpaceDev was also working on a suborbital aircraft under the same name. In the run-up to the official start of the COTS program in 2005 , SpaceDev announced that it wanted to use the NASA HL-20 project as a basis after reviewing various spacecraft studies . In 2006 SpaceDev acquired the license rights to HL-20 from NASA.

SpaceDev had already succeeded in winning an order worth 2.7 million US dollars from the US Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ). The aim was to develop a hybrid rocket engine that was also intended for the Dream Chaser.

The development of the spaceship was continued after 2008 with an adapted concept from SNC.

Satellite technologies

SpaceDev had specialized in the production of microsatellites. The research satellite CHIPSat was built for NASA and successfully launched into space. The Trailblazer satellite was also manufactured, although it was destroyed during the third test flight of the Falcon 1 rocket.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ SpaceDev Signs Agreement to Be Acquired by Sierra Nevada Corporation. October 21, 2008, accessed January 5, 2019 .
  2. ↑ https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2004/04_89AR.html accessed on December 24, 2018
  3. ^ SpaceDev to Build Piloted Spaceship. Space.com, September 4, 2004, accessed December 25, 2018 .
  4. ^ Craig Covault: Show Time, Commercial space lifting off, thanks to more business-like approaches . In: Aviation Week & Space Technology . Volume 161, Number 12, September 27, 2004, pp. 26–27 (English, behind the registration barrier: http://archive.aviationweek.com/issue/20040927/#!&pid=26 [accessed December 29, 2018]).
  5. ^ Private Spacecraft Developer Settles on New Design. Space.com, November 23, 2005, accessed December 25, 2018 .
  6. ↑ 50 years to orbit: Dream Chaser's crazy Cold War backstory. Ars Technica, September 7, 2012, accessed December 25, 2018 (English): "In 2006, SpaceDev went on to execute a licensing agreement with NASA to use the HL-20's design for its new Dream Chaser suborbital spacecraft."
  7. ↑ Spacedev to challenge SpaceX after USAF deal. FlightGlobal.com, November 29, 2005, accessed December 30, 2018 .

Web links

Commons : SpaceDev  - collection of images, videos and audio files