In Space the Final Frontier part 3 I will explore the commercialization of human spaceflight. The common person has dreamed of flying into the stars for millennia and while spaceflight has been the providence of governments for a very long time the commercialization of space really started a long time ago with satellites. These satellites helped to beam television across the United States and connect via radio the world.

Now it must be realized that spaceflight has been a reality for over 60 years and yet it has been under the control of governments, not companies. Now companies have started down the road to flying us into space on a regular basis.

The dawn of Commercial Spaceflight is coming faster than we could have ever imagined. Reality is very quickly catching up with science fiction and very soon you could be boarding a spacecraft for a sub-orbital flight. And the time is coming soon when we could be vacationing in space aboard a space station that is like a hotel.

The leader of the pack right now is Virgin Galactic and it’s SpaceShip Two. Unfortunately with the accident that destroyed the spacecraft and killed a man, Virgin has a lot of work to do before they will be able to take people into space. The design of using a separate launch vehicle is not a new idea and harkens back to the days of when the United States was trying to break the sound barrier. SpaceShip Two is a solid design and will again be flown.

Now here is one that you most likely never heard of and yet you know the man behind it, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. He started a company called Blue Origin to send people on space flights which will go about 61 miles above ground. His company keeps itself shrouded somewhat in mystery. The plan is to use a reusable launch vehicle (RLV) dubbed Shepard after the first astronaut to fly into space. It will take off vertically and land like the science fiction spaceships of the movies by firing its engines to land vertically. Just as an aside, SpaceX just tried to accomplish this with its reusable booster and failed.

Another player is a company called Sierra Nevada Corporation; they have been in business since 1963 making small satellites. They are working on a kind of miniature version of NASA’s Space Shuttle. It will take off under rocket power and glide back to earth. They have teamed up with NASA, Draper Laboratory, Boeing and United Launch Alliance.  To design and make this spacecraft a reality.

While the Russians seem to have stagnated in their development of spacecraft, the Chinese have not and may in the near future enter the area of commercial spaceflight.  At least I would not be surprised if they did.

The one to watch at this time is Virgin Galactic. Richard Branson is no slacker when it comes to making things happen. So, look for the company to fly again as soon it is possible.

That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike