Posted on 12/26/2002 4:49:04 PM PST by Brett66
Transorbital Announces Successful Moon Test Launch
Now Ready for Routine Moon Travel in October 2003
SAN DIEGO -TransOrbital, Inc and International Space company (ICS)Kosmotras today announced a "perfect launch" of TransOrbital's "Trailblazer" satellite at 8pm Russian time. The launch represents a major milestone in TransOrbitals much -anticipated routine lunar delivery service.
Today's launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan of the "Trailblazer" into low Earth orbit was pronounced a total success by TransOrbital president Dennis Laurie. The mission was designed to test rocket separation, downlink telemetry, spacecraft orientation and mass properties in preparation for the formal lunar launch.
Vladimir A Andreev, Director General of ICS Kosmotras said "We are excited about teaming with TransOrbital's first commercial development of the Moon. ICS Kosmotras Dnepr LV SS-18 ICBM provides a proven cost effective technology for lunar launches.
TransOrbital is on target to begin routine Moon travel starting in October 2003. Laurie stated "Significant commercial demand exists for high definition (HD) video, lunar mapping, data storage, scientific research, communications, and data archiving. Many corporate marketers see their products associated with the first commercial missions to the Moon".
"Additionally, there is worldwide demand from private citizens to send personal items such as photographs, legal documents, business cards, burial ashes, and jewelry to the Moon"
TransOrbital is the first and onnly commercial company licensed by the U.S. Department of State, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) for private sector flights to the Moon.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke noted visionary and renowned writer praised todays mission and commented "all good wishes on TransOrbital's successful TrailBlazer launch"
Support for the Trailblazer program has been provided by a number of companies including Lunar Enterprise Corporation and Space Age Publishing
TransOrbital, Inc. is a privately owned supplier of aerospace design, analysis and launch services. Established in 1998, TransOrbital is the first company of its kind authorized by the U. S. government to photograph, explore and land on the lunar surface. The 2003 Trailblazer spacecraft's primary mission is to return HDTV video and other multimedia content from lunar orbit to market as commercial products, as well as the delivery of both personal and commercial cargo to the moon.
About International Space Company (ICS) Kosmotras (www.kosmotras.com/ru) ICS Kosmotras is a private supplier of launch vehicles. ICS Kosmotras provides launch vehicles for many companies and countries around the world.
ICS Kosmotras activities under the Dnepr program are covered by special decrees by both the Russian and Ukrainian governments. The Dnepr LV is the worlds most powerful SS-18 ICBM. Unique for a light class launch vehicle, the Dnepr is able to deliver 3,500 - 4000 kg of payload into low earth orbit.
Transorbital seems to be finding funding. There are other ways of raising money than loans. It is not necessary to claim a celestial body to mine it. There is nothing in the Outer Space Treaty that prevents private mining of bodies, or ownership of the proceeds, no matter how many times you repeat this canard. Possession is more than nine tenths of the law in this case.
All because you won't be licensed to do business. If you choose black market, go ahead, but be aware that the volume of funds is very high and noticeable and you won't be able to maintain a low profile. Good luck.
This is nonsense. There is absolutely no reason to believe that. You continue to make this false assertion, with zero legal support for it.
As I said, until you can do so, don't expect anyone to take you seriously.
TransOrbital Inc. said its TrailBlazer craft is designed to be an inexpensive precursor to a variety of private space missions envisioned for the near future. Toward that end, the company has signed a $20 million contract with Kosmotras, a Russian-Ukrainian space firm that has been authorized to use decommissioned Soviet ICBMs.
TrailBlazer will be launched by the Dnepr-1 booster rocket, formerly the SS-18 missile, the world's largest, TransOrbital said in a statement. The launch, currently scheduled for October 2003, will take the spacecraft into low-Earth orbit, from which it will begin a trans-lunar injection burn that will send it to the moon in about four days. After attaining an elliptical, 18-hour orbit around the moon, TrailBlazer will spend about three months capturing high-definition still and motion images of the lunar surface.
"A specially hardened time capsule in TrailBlazer containing messages and memorabilia will remain on the moon's surface as a permanent message to the future," the company's statement said. The paid messages can be of varying lengths, beginning with 300 characters, maximum, of text for $16.95. Customers can opt to send their business cards -- at $2,500 each -- to the moon's surface, as well as "personal relics, mementos or treasures" for $2,500 per gram, TransOrbital said.
Kosmotras plans to test-burn the Dnepr launch vehicle next month at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. "Elimination of the SS-18 (by 2007) has attracted additional attention of potential customers to the Dnepr Program," the company said.
The liquid-fueled Dnepr rocket, which has been launched successfully 159 times, is 3 meters in diameter, 34.3 meters in length, and weighs 211 tons at launch.
I see you've learned nothing here on FR. The logic goes something like this.
These people are bound to have a screw up somewhere along the line.
That screw up will set lunar expeditioning back just years and years!
That set back will violate my right to a timely lunar experience of my own.
Therefore, my RIGHTS require that this whole enterprise be halted immediately.
Just ask the WODers or antismoking nazis. They'll confirm the unassailability of my thought processes, I'm sure. They employ them all the time.
From a practical standpoint, I don't think anyone would do a thing to stop them. There may be legal challenges from the UN possibly, but who the h#ll are they? The US, if we have the right president when this occurs,could simply bow out of the Outer Space Treaty and then claim the moon for ourselves or the ground surrounding any bases we have there. Then the question becomes who's going to stop us? I don't think we'll have any serious challengers.
Right! Even though the US has sat on its country estate for the past 30 years, we are still decades ahead of anybody else.
Two things for further research:
2. Since there is no case history pertaining to space law in the area of celestial resource development and also next to nothing concerning private property rights in outer space outside of things launched from the ground, the most progress in understanding the situation would come from studying the Law of the Sea. Various international treaties concerning Deep Sea development and continental shelf development might also be of some interest to the student.
Article I
The exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind.
That could mean just about anything. I'll declare my hypothetical Lunar Corp. to be benefitting all countries, especially if I'm selling products made from Lunar soil to several countries.
Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law, and there shall be free access to all areas of celestial bodies.
free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind- sounds good, my Lunar Corp. lawyers would have a field day with this.
There shall be freedom of scientific investigation in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and States shall facilitate and encourage international co-operation in such investigation.
No problem here either. The Outer Space Treaty is a weak, poorly crafted piece of work. It has holes in it big enough to fly a Saturn V through and if it does become a hinderance, it can be backed out of, ignored, or dissembled by a team of lawyers. Though it seems to have wording that actually includes the use of space. It has all of the inhibiting power of a Jimmy Carter treaty.
There are several models in history of exploitation of natural resources.
One is the British Charter. Exactly what the enterprise might consist of was not specified in extreme detail at the time of granting the Charter. Revenues proceeded to the King when profits were realized. That was certainly effective.
The UN would wish to say that all exploration and exploitation shall be governed by an international regime. The purpose is to ensure equitable sharing by the States. The States would have the responsibility whether undertaken by gov't agencies, NGOs, or persons under its jurisdiction for conformity with the regime. This is accomplished by the 1967 UN Treaty, and is ineffective so far in allowing exploitation of celestial resources at all.
This is from the Law of the Sea general area, which is without doubt how the Law of Space will develop by extension.
they need another rocket,this one will not help for a trip to the moon.
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