SpaceX News Update: Company Launches First Private Space Port, Set to Deliver First 3D Printer to Outer Space
SpaceX is moving at warp side with its newest addition, the first ever private spaceport, and the delivery of the outer space 3D Printer to the International Space Station (ISS).
SpaceX, the space exploration and cargo shipping company, has been working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) since 2006. And its new spaceport and recent delivery this week has solidified the space company's determination in space flight and continued partnership with NASA. SpaceX also made a first with its delivery of the highly anticipated 3D Printer or Additive Manufacturing, and other outer space items.
SpaceX, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. -- the company's formal name -- started construction in south Texas, near Brownsville, on Monday. The company boasts that the site will be its "first private commercial orbital launch facility in the world," Reuters reported. The company has been working hard to get itself established since it debuted in 2002.
The space exploration and shipping company is based in Hawthorne, California, and it flies cargo to the ISS under a near $2 billion contract, Reuters reported. Its newest site will be the company's fourth launch area in the U.S.
There is politics between SpaceX and the U.S. government. At the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry was in attendance at the Boca Chica Beach on the Gulf of Mexico, Space News reported. The site will host launches for the company's well known Falcon 9, and future Falcon Heavy rockets.
"We thank you for having the vision to see that this is where you needed to be," Perry said to SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk at the historic event. "The future of South Texas takes off right behind us," Perry said, Space News reported. SpaceX had considered other sites, such as Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico, before choosing Texas.
SpaceX already has a site in Florida, but with this new space port the company vowed not to abandon Florida. Musk stated that with the development of this new Texas site they will continue to utilize those Florida facilities for government launches, Space News reported.
The delivery of the 3D Printer in outer space. SpaceX's Dragon cargo ship arrived at the ISS on Tuesday to transport more than two tons of astronaut supplies and experiments for NASA, including the space age printer and 20 lab mice, NBC News reported.
The Dragon capsule traveled in space for two days and orbited by the ISS labs, only to be grabbed by German astronaut Alexander Gerst. Gerst, along with help from NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, had used the space station's robotic arm to snag the Dragon capsule, NBC News reported.
"This was a great flight of Dragon toward the space station," Gerst said, radioing Mission Control after the successful capture of the Dragon capsule. This flight marked SpaceX's fourth resupply mission to the ISS.
It has been reported that the ISS' new 3D Printer, created by Made In Space, is supposed to act like a "Star Trek" replicator. The "Star Trek" replicators could make clothes, food and mechanical parts, this 3D printer is based off of that principle. This printer is expected to make spare mechanical parts for the astronauts. Additive manufacturing is very innovative and new.
3D printers can create an object layer by layer using printing technology, or via lasers. Some additive manufacturing can create items using plastic, metals, ceramic powder, and other materials. Companies such as Staples are already making 3D printing available to the public, and the Intel company has provided blueprints for people to build a 3D robot.
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