Atlas 5 – Page 8 – Behind The Black

Sierra Nevada sets November 2016 as the date for its first orbital flight of Dream Chaser.

January 24, 2014 9:41 am Robert Zimmerman

The competition heats up: Sierra Nevada has now set November 2016 as the date for its first orbital flight of Dream Chaser.

The flight will be unmanned, followed by a manned mission the next year.

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Engine problems on a Delta 4 rocket launch two weeks ago could delay the launch of the Atlas 5 rocket scheduled to lift the X-37B on its next mission.

October 19, 2012 8:52 am Robert Zimmerman

Engine problems on a Delta 4 rocket launch two weeks ago could delay the launch of the Atlas 5 rocket scheduled to lift the X-37B on its next mission.

Don’t ask me why the military would delay an Atlas 5 launch because of problems on a Delta 4. It seems to be left over caution from the 1960s, when no rocket was reliable and they were trying to figure out how to do it. Now, it simply seems silly.

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Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada the winners of NASA’s commercial crew contracts.

August 3, 2012 9:41 am Robert Zimmerman

It’s official: Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada are the winners of NASA’s commercial crew contracts.

Boeing will receive $460 million, SpaceX $440 million, and Sierra Nevada $212.5. All are planning to launch by 2015.

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More and more the Atlas V appears to be “the vehicle of choice for manned missions.”

February 5, 2012 8:33 am Robert Zimmerman

More and more the Atlas V appears to be “the vehicle of choice for manned missions.” Key quote:

NASA could have gone down this path last decade and possibly shaved years — and billions of dollars — off the development time of a capability to carry astronauts to the space station.

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Bringing the Delta 2 back to launch unmanned science probes

August 22, 2011 9:19 am Robert Zimmerman

Rocket shortage: NASA is reconsidering the Delta 2 rocket as a vehicle to launch its unmanned science satellites.

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American manned space: dependent on the Russians in more ways than you think

August 16, 2011 10:50 pm Robert Zimmerman

American manned space: dependent on the Russians in more ways than you think.

As commentators from around the country gnash their teeth at U.S. dependence upon Russia to move cargo and astronauts to the mostly U.S. built/funded International Space Station (ISS), they’ve missed the bigger boat: With one exception, all the commercial spaceflight offerings currently in the works have Soviet or Russian engines as a key part of the rockets involved.

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