Questions tagged [commercial]
Questions regarding space activities or services performed by private entities for commercial interests/the gain of money.
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Why is Starlink able to deliver gate-to-gate Internet in planes while other systems are only working above 10,000 feet?
I read on https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/09/free-starlink-internet-is-coming-to-all-of-uniteds-airplanes/ (mirror):
United says it will start testing Starlink equipment early in ...
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What is the purpose of geosynchronous communications satellites?
This question's sole answer Is it true, that commercial communications satellites account for the largest share of commercially used satellites? explains that:
the vast majority of the satellites in ...
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Is Blue Origin redundant?
Blue Origin was founded in 2000, SpaceX in 2002. But so far, Blue Origin has only conducted Sub-orbital launches while SpaceX has launched high profile missions like DART. Can Blue Origin actually do ...
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Is there evidence whether SpaceX is making a profit launching rockets?
Since SpaceX is privately held, I'm not able to find information about whether they are actually turning a profit on their launches of reusable rockets. (Perhaps they are conducting launches, but at a ...
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Can New Shepard launch from Texas and deliver payload (people) to Florida?
Can New Shepard be used as transportation instead of a joy ride?
Is there any meaningful flight where you launch from Texas, and land somewhere nearby like California or Florida?
If it can't be done ...
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How were Intelsat 1 “Early Bird” and Telstar 1's "hundreds" of simultaneous telephone conversations multiplexed/demultiplexed?
When did they stop routing long-distance analog phone calls through satellites? What was the maximum volume at its peak? contains images, sources and descriptions of both
The Intelsat 1 “Early Bird” ...
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What did Intelsat-1 do in 1990 for its 25th anniversary brief reactivation? Could it be reactivated again? Is there a secret code?
Ouch! The 1960s
From This Is What Broadband Satellite Communication Looked Like in 1965
The Intelsat 1 “Early Bird” communications satellite, built by Hughes Aircraft Co., was able to relay 240 ...
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Who designed the cool-looking Orbita Molniya tracking station at Khabarovsk? What does it look like inside?
Wikipedia's Orbita (TV system) says:
Orbita (Russian: орбита) is a Soviet-Russian system of broadcasting and delivering TV signals via satellites. It is considered to be the first national network of ...
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Launch excapse system for satellite payloads? [duplicate]
Once a rocket lifts off, there is usually no abort mode that does not involve the destruction of the rocket, and on a satellite launch, the payload.
Therefore, expendeble satellite launchers are quite ...
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How big will a space billboard have to be to be visible?
So recently there's been the news story about how SpaceX is launching a billboard to space (space billboards are an approximately bi-annual occurrence). This "billboard" is a cubesat that ...
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Is there a record for unbroken series of "successful launches" by some objective criteria? Who has it now? What has to happen for it to change hands?
From the (I'd say) historic and pivotal hearing Wednesday, March 5, 2014 Defense Subcommittee (Chairman Durbin) Time and Location: 10:00 a.m., in Room SD-192 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building ...
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Psyche & others will use Maxar 1300 series platform; are these the first instances of a commercial communications satellite bus sent to deep space?
Maxar's own blogpost Power and Propulsion Element: Five Questions with Maxar’s Tim Cole links to it's 1300 series platform page which says:
The SSL 1300 is the world’s most popular spacecraft ...
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Do you know a rocket for launching femto and pico satellites smaller than the SS-520?
The question has already been asked here why no one has built a rocket to launch one CubeSat.
Why isn't there a rocket to launch a single cubesat?
If there "won't be" rockets to ...
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Bishop airlock: explanation of the name?
Nanoracks' new Bishop Airlock will soon be installed on Node 3 and will provide some cool operational capabilities.
But, I don't get the name. This Verge article says
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How should we point our SpaceX Starlink ground transceiver antennas?
I don't have one of course, but I see that the Starlink ground transceiver antennas are flat but "pointable" to some extent. I assume but don't know for sure that there's at least some kind ...
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Are there active proposals for the next large space station (post-ISS) to use artificial gravity?
The ISS has supported a crewed presence in space for twenty years now and while parts have been added over time, key original components are 20+ years old.
Crewed presence is usually limited to a half-...
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Is Virgin Galactic still targeting high speed suborbital flights, or just space tourism?
A long time ago I followed the development of Space Ship One and subsequently Space Ship Two. At the time I remember someone (I believe it was Branson) saying that one of the primary uses of their ...
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How does the Commercial Crew Program differ from the way NASA's previous crewed systems were developed and operated?
This overview of the Commercial Crew Program on NASA's site describes the difference between Commercial Crew and previous systems (I have numbered the original bullet points for easier reference):
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Launch options for a hobbyist cubesat builder who's not rich? [closed]
For a while now I've been waning to launch a satellite into space, making the satellite should be simple enough, I have some experience with Arduino and coding in general. but what I don't have is any ...
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Cubesat, smallsat, or probe 'auteurs' - do any exist?
Most cubesats, other smallsats, and small probes are designed, funded, and launched by small teams (often associated with education/research institutions) at the smallest.
By "auteur", I mean a ...
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Why exactly did ESA provide a grant funding blockchain in space? Which program was used for the funding? What will this do?
Despite all of the negative authoritative answers to How would blockchain be integrated into spaceflight? Have any methods been proposed yet? stating that it wouldn't happen, Coin Telegraph's ...
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Has anything "changed" about the way that NASA will procure technology for the Artemis program?
A video in the Space.com article NASA Taps Maxar to Build Lunar Gateway Power Module for Artemis Moon Plan shows the NASA director explaining the series Artemis 1, 2, 3... and announcing that the ...
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What does this NASA administrator's tweeted statement mean? What is the context? [closed]
Background: Teslarati's NASA head calls out SpaceX CEO Elon Musk over Starship event in bizarre statement might serve as a resource for answers if the question is successfully reopened.
Question: ...
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How often are satellites in GEO moved to follow customer demand?
The BBC News article Inmarsat lays big satellite order with Airbus says:
The firm is buying three new spacecraft to augment its Global Xpress system, which provides connectivity to on-the-move and ...
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What is the limiting factor for cargo throughput per launch to the ISS?
Given the high availability of ISS Commercial Cargo launches for NASA, it would seem that the aerospace stereotype of "mass reduction is paramount" may be outdated. What is the current limiting factor ...
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Proposed Canso Spaceport, challenges to commercial viability of a private spaceport?
Maritime Launch Services is proposing to build a spaceport facility to launch Ukrainian built Cyclone 4M rockets from Canso into polar and sun synchronous orbit.
Knowing very little about the space ...
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What happened to International Microspace's $100 million contract?
This might be an obscure one. As I understand it: Diamandis co-founded Microsat Launch Systems, which was renamed International MicroSpace, in 1989. (This is apparently not the Micro-Space of 1977 to ...
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Are SpaceX subject to "Common Carrier" provisions from the FAA, NASA or others? [duplicate]
For instance, could SpaceX refuse to carry OneWeb satellites because it is a competitor to StarLink.
Obviously SpaceX shouild be able refuse payloads as incompatible with their vehicle.
The obvious ...
user20636
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What prompted all of those private launch companies to get into the business?
It seems that, somewhere around the turn of the century, a bunch of private companies started gearing up for launching things into space when nobody (at least not private entrepreneurs) seemed very ...
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Where are all the space capsules? [duplicate]
My understanding is that space capsules, at least until recently with the private companies, have been single-use. Including the Soyuz capsules that Russia keeps using. Which means there could ...
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Will there be man-rated DreamChasers?
The Sierra Nevada DreamChaser was a contender for the commercial crew program, but lost out when NASA chose both Boeing and SpaceX for their program. However, they kept developing the craft for the ...
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Which deep space missions have had beverages named after them?
Which deep space missions have had beverages named after them?
Just that, though a passing reference to the beverage or photographic evidence may be required supporting information.
Here "deep space"...
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Is SpaceX adopting a strategy to move away from the launch segment into being an operator only to fund the Mars Ambitions? [closed]
The recent approval of the FCC towards the launch of the star-link constellation is indicative that from just being a company in the upstream segment,SpaceX is branching out into the downstream ...
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Who's "winning" with launch rate/cadence?
Launch rate, or cadence, is not necessarily a fundamental metric for evaluating a launch provider, but it's an easy one.
From India Today's Sept. 18, 2018 article 6 months, 18 missions: ISRO sets new ...
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Are US Space companies favored to purchase subsystems from US only suppliers. Are there any specific laws that dictate this?
While i was doing a study on spacecraft subsystems for satellites launched, I noticed that many of the subsystems aboard an American satellite are derived from companies based in the US. By common ...
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Will a crew or crews for one or more commercial launch vehicles to the ISS really be announced in August 2018?
The Washington Post article Boeing faces a significant setback with the spacecraft it is designing to fly NASA astronauts includes the following statemt:
The leak is likely to delay its launch ...
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In what ways could a US-based commercial space company legally use nuclear power?
At the moment, commercial usage of space seems to be the next big 'thing' in space exploration. Much of this (tourism, commercial launch companies, etc) will likely use solar power or fuel cell ...
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Can they watch TV at the South Pole? What satellites are used for data, comms, and entertainment?
edit: This answer adds one more piece to the puzzle, at least for data.
For navigation, I believe GPS covers the poles.
For data, there is at least Iridium (see answers to What (actually) makes ...
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SpaceX's ITS as heavy lifter for Earth orbit
Was the booster of the interplanetary transport system ever considered as a super heavy launch vehicle for commercial payloads onto LEO and GEO? (with an expendable or reusable second stage) Or its ...
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Why did NASA close the space shuttle program? [duplicate]
The era of the space shuttle program was one of the highlights in the history of space exploration. Why did NASA decide to retire the space shuttles, or why aren't they planning to start a new program ...
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Were any Components Off The Shelf (COTS) used in the Space Shuttle?
Are there examples of Components Off The Shelf (COTS) used in the Space Transportation System?
And is NASA considering using COTS in future manned space flight systems like Orion and the SLS?
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What expenses and risks might the state of California incur that might partially justify a new "rocket tax"?
I see several mentions in recent news of a proposed tax on launches in the state of California, and that it would be 'by the mile'.
The nature of the currently proposed tax is described in this ...
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California's rocket tax "by the mile", how would that work exactly?
I see several mentions in recent news of a proposed tax on launches in the state of California, and that it would be 'by the mile'.
If someone is familliar with the issue, could they outline how this ...
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Could the Soyuz/Progress supply and crew a space station in Lunar orbit?
The Soyuz launcher can put about a third of the mass in low Earth orbit compared with Proton, Falcon 9, Ariane 5, Atlas V. Is that enough to crew and resupply a space station in Lunar orbit, or at an ...
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How much would it cost to build an international commercial moonbase?
The Earth's moon is one of the largest natural resources of our planet. My question: how much would it cost to build an internationally accessible commercial facility (moonbase) on the Moon?
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Are there other companies than Bigelow Aerospace planning to offer a space hotel?
After reading up on the matter I noticed that there currently are only two options to remain in space for longer than a few hours:
International Space Station (US and Russia) assembled in orbit: ...
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Was a commercial (ad) balloon satellite ever deployed?
I remember hearing a story from some two decades ago, about a publicity stunt by one of the two - can't remember which - Pepsi or Coca-Cola.
The action was allegedly deployment of a gigantic balloon ...
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What is the closest intentional separation achieved by two satellites?
I would like to know what is the closest separation achieved by two satellites.
Let's restrict it to
Non experimental satellites (or else it would be 0)
Operational satellites (no collision)
Post ...
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Reusing Tanks and Rocket Engines from just beyond Geosynchronus Orbit [duplicate]
There are many Centaur upper stages and a few other objects in the junk yard orbit just beyond the geosynchronous orbit. Is there any reasons why this stuff could not be reused?
There are cryogenic ...
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What are the major expenses for a small spaceport?
I'm not looking for exact numbers, and I know that it will vary on a case by case basis, but I was thinking about the Kodiak Launch Complex lately:
Last Launch: August 25th, 2014
2 Active Pads
There ...
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