Private spaceflight facts for kids
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On the left: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the Axiom Mission 1.
On the right: NASA's Space Launch System for Artemis 1.
Private spaceflight is when companies, individuals, or groups that are not part of the government do things in space. This is different from public spaceflight, which is usually done by government groups like NASA in the United States, ESA in Europe, or JAXA in Japan.
In the past few decades, private space companies have changed space exploration a lot. They have also made many parts of the space industry into businesses. These companies now:
- Build and run satellites for things like talking to each other (communications) and watching Earth.
- Build and fly rockets and spacecraft for both robots and people.
- Offer services such as launching satellites, taking astronauts to space, and even space tourism.
- Work on new technologies for space travel and exploring space.
The growth of private spaceflight has led to:
- More competition in the space world. This has made rockets better and lowered costs.
- Easier access to space for science, businesses, and even people who can pay a lot of money.
- Discussions about things like space debris (space junk), using resources in space, and the right and wrong of space exploration.
Many important companies are leading the way in private spaceflight. Some of these are:
- SpaceX
- Blue Origin
- Rocket Lab
- Virgin Galactic
- Axiom Space
- Sierra Space
These companies are busy building and launching rockets and spacecraft. They are also doing space tourism trips and helping to explore space.
Contents
A Quick Look at Space History
For a long time, only countries could build and fly spacecraft above the Kármán line, which is the edge of space. Groups like the U.S. civilian space program and the Soviet space program used mostly military pilots as astronauts. Back then, no private company could launch things into space, and no private group could even buy a space launch. Later, private groups could both offer and buy space launches. This is how private spaceflight began.
The first step for private space was when the first commercial communications satellites were launched. In 1962, a U.S. law allowed private groups to own and run their own satellites. But these satellites still had to be launched on government rockets.
In 1980, the European Space Agency started Arianespace. This company was meant to be a business after governments helped pay for its first rockets and launch sites. Arianespace has launched many satellites as a commercial company since then.
Early private space travel efforts include the German company OTRAG in the 1970s. It was the first private company to try launching its own rocket in 1977. More recently, in the 21st century, companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin have flown people on short trips to space. SpaceX and others have sent spacecraft into orbit.
After 2010, launch services became cheaper. This created a lot of competition in the space launch market. By 2012, a private company started sending cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). This meant that private companies were regularly delivering supplies to the government-owned space station. Now, the government pays private companies to carry cargo instead of doing it all themselves.
In 2013, a newspaper called The Independent said that a new "space race" was starting. It noted that private companies were planning to send humans beyond Earth's orbit for the first time since 1972.
How America Opened Up Space
The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 told NASA to encourage private companies to use space as much as possible.
At first, NASA tried to make its Space Shuttle the only way to launch things into space. But after the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986, government shuttle flights stopped for a while. This allowed private companies to start their own launch businesses.
In 1983, the U.S. government said it would only control private rocket launches as much as needed for safety and international rules. Then, in 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed the Commercial Space Launch Act. This law allowed American companies to operate their own rockets. Before this law, all commercial satellite launches in the U.S. had to use NASA's Space Shuttle.
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed another law. This law told NASA to buy launch services from private companies whenever possible. This was a big change from the Space Shuttle having a monopoly.
In 2004, a new law, the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act, made private spaceflight legal in the U.S. It also gave the government time to learn about regulating these new flights.
The SPACE Act of 2015 updated U.S. space laws. It clearly allows U.S. citizens to explore and use resources like water and minerals in space. However, it does not allow them to claim ownership of any planet or moon.
Russia's Private Space Efforts
In 1992, a special capsule with gifts was launched from Russia. This private spaceflight was called Space Flight Europe-America 500. It was meant to help trade between Russia and the United States. Money for the launch came from Russian companies.
Working Together: Launch Alliances
Since 1995, Russia's Proton rocket has been sold through International Launch Services. The Soyuz rocket is sold through Starsem. The Sea Launch project used the Ukrainian Zenit rocket.
In 2003, Arianespace joined with Boeing and Mitsubishi to form the Launch Services Alliance. Later, in 2005, Lockheed Martin and Boeing created the United Launch Alliance to serve the U.S. government launch market.
The Rise of Private Spaceflight
Since the 1980s, many private groups have started up to use space for business. Launching things into space used to be very expensive. It cost tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram. But by 2020, some private companies have brought costs down to a few thousand dollars per kilogram. They expect it to get even cheaper.
The first private rocket to reach the edge of space was Conestoga I. It was launched by Space Services Inc. in 1982. It went up to 309 kilometers (192 miles) high.
On April 5, 1990, Orbital Sciences Corporation's Pegasus rocket was the first rocket fully built by a private company to reach orbit. It was launched from an airplane.
In the early 2000s, the U.S. government started working with private companies to develop spaceflight technology. In 2006, NASA began a program to buy commercial space transport to carry cargo to the International Space Station.
In May 2015, Japan started looking at laws to allow private spaceflight companies in their country.
In 2016, the U.S. government gave its first approval for a private flight to the Moon.
On May 30, 2020, SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2 became the first mission with astronauts to the International Space Station that was operated by a private company.
On February 22, 2024, Intuitive Machine's private Odysseus spacecraft successfully landed on the Moon. This was the first time a privately owned spacecraft landed on the Moon. It was also the first U.S. lunar landing in over 50 years.
Who Funds Private Spaceflight?
Today, many companies offer launch services to satellite companies and government space groups. In 2005, Russia did 44% of commercial orbital launches, Europe did 28%, and the United States did 6%. China's first private launch happened in May 2018.
Money for Space Ventures
Recently, more types of people and groups have started investing in private spaceflight. For example, by 2013, ten billionaires had put serious money into private space companies. These included SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic.
At first, people wondered if these investments were just a "gamble." But by the early 2020s, some of these investments paid off. For example, Elon Musk's SpaceX became a leader in the launch market. However, some companies like Bigelow Aerospace did not succeed.
Venture Capital Investments
Some investors believe the old space industry is ready for big changes. They think it's possible to make space travel much, much better and cheaper. Between 2005 and 2015, about $10 billion of private money was invested in the space industry. In 2015 alone, venture capital firms invested $1.8 billion in private spaceflight companies. This was more than in the previous 15 years combined!
By 2016, more investors were interested in making money from spaceflight. Some space companies even had to turn away money from investors. In 2019, it was noted that private space companies and investors were ready to benefit from NASA's plan to open up the International Space Station to commercial businesses.
Commercial Launchers
The space transport business has always had governments and large companies as its main customers. Launching government satellites (military, civilian, and scientific) was the biggest market. Until the 2020s, this market was mostly controlled by companies like United Launch Alliance in the U.S. and Arianespace in Europe. But now, new private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin can compete for these contracts.
U.S. Government Buying Cargo Services
In the mid-2000s, the U.S. government decided to start buying orbital launch services for cargo deliveries to the International Space Station (ISS). This was different from how they used to do it with the Space Shuttle, which was going to retire. In 2006, NASA announced that U.S. commercial companies could show they could provide these services. NASA planned to spend $500 million to help private companies develop ways to transport cargo to the ISS.
In August 2006, NASA chose two young aerospace companies, SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler, to receive money for this program. However, Rocketplane Kistler did not meet its deadlines, so NASA ended its contract with them in 2008. NASA then gave the remaining money to Orbital Sciences Corporation to develop resupply services for the ISS.
The Rise of Personal Spaceflight
Before 2004, when it became legal in the U.S., no private company had ever flown people into space. The only private individuals who went to space were "space tourists" on the Space Shuttle or Russian Soyuz flights. These trips went to the Mir space station or the International Space Station.
The Ansari X PRIZE was created to encourage private investment in spaceflight. On June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne made the first human spaceflight in a vehicle built and operated by a private company.
After SpaceShipOne's success, Richard Branson, who owns Virgin, and Burt Rutan, SpaceShipOne's designer, announced that Virgin Galactic would use the technology for commercial space flights. They planned to offer flights for about $200,000 each. A test flight of SpaceShipTwo in October 2014 had an accident, and one of the pilots died.
In December 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush signed a law to help the new U.S. commercial human spaceflight industry grow.
On July 11, 2021, Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic had their first successful flight to space. On July 20, 2021, Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin also made a successful flight to space. On September 16, 2021, SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience flew the Inspiration4 mission. This was the first orbital spaceflight with only private citizens on board.
Private Foundations in Space
The B612 Foundation was working on a space telescope called Sentinel to find asteroids.
The Planetary Society, a non-profit group, has funded small satellites to test if solar sailing works. Their first project, Cosmos 1, failed. But their Lightsail series had a successful launch in 2015.
Copenhagen Suborbitals is a space program funded by many people. As of 2016, they have flown four rockets and two fake space capsules that they built themselves.
Future Plans for Private Spaceflight
Many people wonder where private spaceflight will go next. There are many plans for rockets and spacecraft that will carry satellites and people. Some of these will be government-funded, like many of the COTS projects. Other plans include paid trips for tourists on suborbital craft from companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin. These suborbital spacecraft could also be used for faster package delivery or passenger flights between continents.
Private Space Stations and Orbital Flights
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, first launched in 2010, was designed to eventually carry humans. The Atlas V rocket is also being considered for human flights.
SpaceX announced plans for the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which can carry up to seven passengers. A newer version, Dragon version 2, was shown in 2014. As of June 2024, both SpaceX and Boeing have contracts from NASA to build and fly human-rated space capsules to the International Space Station.
In December 2010, SpaceX launched the second Falcon 9 and the first Dragon spacecraft. This was a big success, marking the first time a private company launched a capsule into space, brought it back through the atmosphere, and recovered it. Later, Dragon successfully docked with the ISS in 2012.
As of 2012, a private company called NanoRacks offers commercial access to the U.S. National Laboratory space on the International Space Station (ISS). This allows science experiments to be done in space.
Asteroid Mining
Some people think that mining metal from asteroids could be very profitable. For example, a one-kilometer-wide asteroid might contain 30 million tons of nickel and 7,500 tons of platinum. The platinum alone could be worth more than $150 billion!
Space Elevators
A space elevator is a possible way to get into space. It is like a very long cable stretching from Earth into space. This system is being looked into by at least one private company. There are questions about how much it would cost and if it's even possible. But if it works, it could carry much more traffic than rockets.
Past Private Space Efforts That Didn't Launch
Failed Spaceflight Ventures
After OTRAG's early attempts, many companies tried to build commercial space launch providers in the 1990s. They thought there would be a lot of demand for launching communication satellites. But this demand largely disappeared when some very large satellite networks were never built.
In 1996, NASA chose Lockheed Martin to build the X-33 VentureStar prototype. This was meant to be a reusable spacecraft that could go from Earth to orbit in one stage. But the fuel tank failed during testing, and the project ended in 2001. The VentureStar was supposed to be a full-scale commercial space transport.
In 1997, Beal Aerospace proposed a low-cost, heavy-lift rocket called the BA-2. In 2000, they tested a very large rocket engine. But in October 2000, Beal Aerospace stopped working. They said it was because NASA and the Department of Defense decided to focus on a competing government-funded program.
In 1998, Rotary Rocket proposed the Roton, a spacecraft that could take off and land vertically. A full-size test vehicle flew three times in 1999. But after spending millions of dollars, the Roton could not get launch contracts, and Rotary Rocket closed in 2001.
Excalibur Almaz had plans in 2007 to launch a modernized spacecraft for tourism. But their equipment was never launched, and their facility closed in 2016.
Escape Dynamics worked from 2010 to 2015, aiming to make single-stage-to-orbit spaceplanes.
In December 2012, the Golden Spike Company announced plans to take people to the Moon and back, starting as early as 2020. They planned to charge $750 million per passenger.
XCOR Aerospace planned to start suborbital commercial spaceflight with their Lynx rocketplane for $95,000.
Private Space Stations
By 2010, Bigelow Aerospace was developing a private orbital space station. It was planned to be made of inflatable modules. Parts of the station were expected to be available for rent as early as 2015. However, as of October 2021, no launches have happened.
Private Moon Missions
Robotic Missions to the Moon
Several companies and groups had plans to send robots to the Moon as part of the Google Lunar X Prize competition. These included:
- Moon Express
- SpaceIL
- Synergy Moon
- Team Indus
- Hakuto (ispace)
Private Crewed Trips to the Moon
Shackleton Energy Company wants to explore the Moon for water ice. If they find a lot of ice, they plan to set up "refueling stations" in Earth orbit and on the Moon. These stations would process the ice into rocket fuel for other companies and governments.
Exploring Mars with Private Companies
In June 2012, a private Dutch non-profit called Mars One announced a plan to send humans on a one-way trip to Mars. Their goal was to start a permanent human colony there. The plan was to send a communication satellite and a lander by 2016. After several steps, they hoped to land four humans on Mars to live there permanently in 2023. New astronauts would arrive every two years.
Mars One faced a lot of criticism. People questioned if it was medically, technically, or financially possible. Many thought the $6 billion budget was too low to send humans to Mars. NASA had estimated such a trip would cost $100 billion, though that included bringing astronauts back to Earth.
In February 2013, the U.S. non-profit Inspiration Mars Foundation announced a plan to send a married couple on a 501-day trip around Mars and back to Earth in 2018. They would not land on Mars. This mission would use a special orbit that happens only every 15 years. This orbit would allow the spacecraft to use the least amount of fuel to get to Mars and back.
On September 27, 2016, Elon Musk shared many details about SpaceX's Interplanetary Transport System (ITS). This system includes large vehicles for transporting cargo and passengers. Musk also talked about a bigger vision: for other companies, individuals, and governments to use this new, much cheaper transport system to build a lasting human civilization on Mars and other places in the Solar System.
Since March 2020, SpaceX has done several test flights of their Starship spacecraft. The Starship is a fully reusable vehicle designed to take passengers and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. On May 5, 2021, the twelfth Starship prototype (SN15) made a 10 km (6.2 miles) suborbital flight and landed softly. SpaceX is still working to improve the Starship.
See also
In Spanish: Vuelo espacial privado para niños
- Billionaire space race
- List of private spaceflight companies
- List of commercial space stations
- Commercial Spaceflight Federation
- Human spaceflight
- X Prize Foundation
- Space launch market competition
Images for kids
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Launch of a Proton rocket.
