Space Planes

Currently, NASA uses Space Shuttles, or Orbiters, to fly a crew into space. These Space Shuttles have proven to be successful, although they have been becoming a burden to NASA. The Space Shuttle is not economical, reusable, or even safe (Bentley 27). Almost a quarter of NASA’s budget goes into the Shuttle (one Shuttle flight is estimated to cost 350 million dollars) and it is only partially recoverable (Bentley 24). The External Tank required by the Shuttle’s main engine cannot be recovered and the Two Solid Rocket Boosters can be reused about 20 times (Verger 140). Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger are both proof that the Space Shuttle can have it major flaws (Bentley 96). The crews of these Shuttles gave their lives for mankind’s quest for new knowledge.

An alternative to the Space Shuttle is a combination of an enhanced airplane and Space Shuttle called a space plane. These space planes are already being manufactured and tested by various organizations (Bentley 24). Not only will they be capable of transporting scientists and astronauts into space but also tourists, thus creating space tourism. The space tourists will solve the budget problems of government agencies and private companies by simply engaging in space tourism. Matthew A. Bentley states that “Tourism is already a multi-billion dollar industry on Earth, and tourism in space will be no different.” Spaceships so far have not been either economical or affordable. This is because unlike airplanes, spaceships have neither been perfected nor produced in large numbers (Bentley 30). Space tourism is about to change that with more and more people demanding space access. Ultimately this demand will drive down costs and improve the quality of space vehicles (Bentley 31). The economical benefits of the space plane will force space agencies to completely retire the Space Shuttle. In addition to the cost effectiveness is its reusability and safety. The space planes of the future will not launch from ballistic missiles as they do now, making them much safer than the conventional Space Shuttle. Also, more advanced space planes will be capable of taking off on their own power, much like the very safe airplanes that people use every day. Gone will be the days of throwing away expensive rockets used to launch Space Shuttles into orbit.

Space planes are not science fiction. The Space Shuttles used today can be considered space planes but they have a long way to go before they can be called advanced space planes. It took engineers forty-four years to develop the 700-mph X-1, the first manned vehicle to break the sound barrier, from when the Wright brothers invented the first airplane (Bentley 81). To say that in a few years from now people will be flying to and from space on a regularly basis, is a definite possibility.

Works Cited:

Bentley, Matthew A. Spaceplanes: From Airport to Spaceport. New York: Springer, 2009.

Verger, Fernand, et al. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space: Missions, Applications and Exploration. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Photo Credit:

"Space Plane"

http://a52.g.akamaitech.net/f/52/827/1d/www.space.com/images/090311-spaceplane-fly-02.jpg