so there's the theme for the next SPB mission after Lohan: bring crate of beer to ISS.
Paris connection? The backronym will surely provide one.
A private space company has launched its third mission: an Antares rocket sending a freighter packed with food – among other things – to the International Space Station. Orbital Sciences Corp's unmanned Cygnus spacecraft lifted off from Virginia's eastern shore yesterday strapped to a 13-storey high Antares rocket, which is …
Orbital science is a consortium of the same defense companies that used to build the Space Shuttle and other kit for Nasa and now launches rockets for them and the USAF under a no-bid single supplier contract. Calling them a private space company is a bit of a stretch
No. "USA" (United Space Alliance) is the consortium of the same defense companies (Boeing & Lockheed) that used to build the Space Shuttle and other kit for NASA and now launches rockets for them and the USAF under a no-bid single supplier contract.
They are a large employer here in Florida on the Space Coast.
Orbital is the one that air-launches the Pegasus launcher by slinging it under an L-1011 ex-airliner.
Not true. There was extensive web/closed-circuit broadcasting ("NASA TV") of SpaceX's last launch to ISS. Today's mission was for Orbcomm, a different customer, not NASA.
And while we're also on the subject of contractors, check out the latest from the Motley Fool on who made NASA's top ten list. It might surprise you: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/13/who-are-nasas-top-10-contractors.aspx