Private initiative in space has proven to be viable, as well as more economical and innovative than the large state programmes of the past.
Every generation is fortunate enough to witness certain events that involve breakthroughs for the development of mankind. En nuestro caso, y dentro del contexto de la carrera espacial, estamos viviendo en directo la irrupción y el éxito del private sector in space explorationThis was certainly unthinkable a few decades ago.
El último gran acontecimiento en este campo ha sido el lanzamiento del décimo ensayo del Starship Super Heavy, la lanzadera más grande que haya visto el ser humano. Antes de este hito, SpaceX nos ha permitido disfrutar del vuelo de la primera nave tripulada desarrollada íntegramente por una empresa privada y que llevó a dos astronautas hasta la Estación Espacial Internacional. Fue con el módulo Crew Dragon, impulsado por un cohete reutilizable Falcon 9, artífice de estas misiones.
Apart from the many curiosities that arise in a mission like this, some of which we have collected in our infographic, it is a good moment to reflect on the entrepreneurial effort The success of such a milestone and the consequences that may follow.
SpaceX is a relatively young company, having been founded in 2002 by the restless billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Just six years later, in 2008, it was already the first private company to launch a private rocket into orbit. And two years later it was even able to recover the rocket for reuse. His goal, however, was clear from the beginning and was none other than to to be a leader in the space race, explorar el espacio pero, sobre todo, dar los pasos adecuados para llegar a colonizar el planeta Marte algún día. Y va camino de ello.
A manned space mission is no simple matter. The company has previously used its shuttles to deliver supplies to the International Space Station, but considering the possibility of a manned flight required a series of extraordinary operational guarantees. In addition, its business approach is based on the realisation of commercially competitive flights para que terceras empresas (y estados) pudieran estar tentados a utilizar sus servicios. El planteamiento de los cohetes reutilizables era uno de los pilares del proyecto y no cabe duda del éxito alcanzado, a pesar de los lógicos y esperados traspiés iniciales.
SpaceX has demonstrated that private initiative in space can be much more economical and less burdensome for taxpayers than large state programmes, as is the case in other facets of our society.
Muchos años de pruebas, muchos sistemas desarrollados y muchas personas implicadas.
In the infographics tratamos de rescatar algunos de los datos más relevantes de los inicios de SpaceX y algunas de sus misiones más relevantes, con anécdotas y curiosidades que nos permitirán entender un poco mejor las complejidades y retos a los que se enfrentan las empresas que tratan de breaking down barriers and reaching beyond the known horizon.
