Vega Aerospace

**Vega Aerospace** is an American privately funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company headquartered in Victorville, California. Founded in 2001 by Alexander Monroe, the company aims to lessen the expenses of space travel and create more reliable reusable launch vehicles and spacecraft. Vega has become a primer space transportation asset for the United States since its foundation. The company motto is *Ad Astra Per Aspera,* or Latin for "to the stars through hardships." Vega has developed a variety of technologies, with a focus on non-rocket launches, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicles for access to suborbital and orbital space, as well as, new spacecraft propulsion systems including superluminal transportation.

The company's name refers to the star Vega, former northern pole star for the planet Earth and will be again in another 12,000 years.

In 2019, the company sent the first human expedition to the planet Saturn using newly developed NERVA propulsion systems.

Also in 2019, the company became embroiled in a scandal involving government money allocated to study pseudoscientific and ultrascientific phenomenon.

In 2021, the company announced that it will be launching its starship Pegasus on the first-ever crewed expedition of interstellar space.

## Scientific Exploration Vehicles (SEVs)

*SEVs each carry astronaut crews of four. Each crew is signed up for at least an one-year term of space exploration. It takes approximately three years to design and build a current-generation SEV. The Pegasus has been the only exception as the turnaround from order to launch was five years.*

1. Orion. The hunter. Class leader. Secret mission for Project Darkstar, under command of Colonel Martin Sawyer, operated by U.S. Space Command. Launched June 24, 2016. Active.
2. Bootes. The plowman. Deployed to Venus. Launched July 22, 2016. Active.
3. Draco. The dragon. Deployed near Earth. Launched March 24, 2017. Active.
4. Aquila. The eagle. Deployed to the Moon. Launched May 5, 2017. Active.
5. Cygnus. The swan. Deployed to Mars. Launched May 19, 2017. Active.
6. Delphinus. The dolphin. Deployed to the Belt. Launched October 12, 2018. Active.
7. Equuleus. The pony. Deployed to the outer planets. Launched September 20, 2019. Active.
8. Pegasus. The winged horse. First interstellar expedition under command of Frank A. Carter, operated by International Space Commission. Launched September 26, 2021. Active.
9. Andromeda. Chained woman. Expected to be launched October 1, 2021. Inactive.
10. Cassiopeia. Seated queen. Expected to be launched December 16, 2022. Inactive.
11. Cetus. Sea monster. Under construction, as of 2021.
12. Perseus. Hero. Ordered, as of 2021.

**Vega Aerospace Corporation** is an American

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES (SPACEX)

Company: SpaceX

Spaceship name: Dragon spacecraft/Falcon 9 rocket.

Number of passengers: 7 maximum, or fewer with a mixture of cargo/crew

Founder(s): Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal

Founding: 2002

Backing: $100 million of Musk personal fortune, $20 million from investors

Location: Hawthrone, California. Launched from Kennedy Space Center, FL.

Plans to launch: Debut launch tests in 2010, 1st operational flights in 2011.

Contracts: US Govt/NASA.

ORBITAL SCIENCES

Spaceship name: Cygnus/Taurus 2 rocket

Number of passengers: So far, Cygnus is purely unmanned.

Founder(s): David W. Thompson, Bruce W. Ferguson, Scott L. Webster

Founding: 1982

Backing: Publicly traded company, $1.1 billion in revenue.

Location: Dulles, Virginia. Launched from Wallops Island, VA.

Plans to launch: 2011

Contract: NASA (Cargo runs to ISS)

BLUE ORIGIN

Spaceship name: New Shepard

Number of passengers: at least 3 astronauts

Founder(s): Jeff Bazos

Founding: 2004.

Backing: His personal fortune as founder of Amazon.com

Location: Kent, Washington. Testing in Texas.

Plans to launch: Mid-2012

Contract: NASA (astronaut escape system/composite space capsule-commercial)

BIGELOW AEROSPACE

Spaceship name: Sundancer/BA-330/Genesis 1 and 2.

Number of passengers: Sundancer supports crew of 3/BA-330 to support crew of 6.

Founder(s): Robert Bigelow.

Founding: 1999.

Backing: $180 million of his personal fortune, owner of hotels.

Location: North Las Vegas, NV.

Plans to launch: 2015.

Contract: Private space hotels, private moonbase. NASA (7 crew vehicle)

SPACE DEV/SIERRA NEVADA CORPORATION (SPACE DEV)

Spaceship name: Dream Chaser.

Number of passengers: 4 on suborbital flights, up to 6 for orbital flights.

Founder(s): Jim Benson (deceased), now led by Faith Ozmen.

Founding: 1997.

Backing: Sierra Nevada Corp., of Sparks, Nevada

Location: Poway, CA.

Plans to launch: Under development.

Contract: NASA (develop Dream Chaser)

VIRGIN GALACTIC

Spaceship name: SpaceShipTwo.

Number of passengers: 6 passengers, 2 pilots. ($200,000 per seat, tourism)

Founder(s): British billionnaire Sir Richard Branson.

Founding: 2004.

Backing: His personal fortune as founder of Virgin Group

Location: London, England. Spaceport, New Mexico.

Plans to launch: end of 2011/early 2012.

Contract: Private. No NASA funding.

HARDIMAN AEROSPACE

Spaceship name: HAN-IV (HAN 1-3, no longer operational)/LUNA-01 moonbase.

Number of passengers: crew of 6 on HAN-IV.

Founder(s): David Hardiman of Hardiman Corporation.

Founding: 2010s?

Backing: Hardiman’s personal fortune.

Location: ?

Plans to launch: Northstar project, ongoing in 2037.

Contract: Private. No NASA funding.

Notes: Largest privately funded space effort.