ABU DHABI // Boeing’s newest space capsule, which can carry up to seven crew members and will be used by Nasa for its missions, was on display in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The Crew Space Transport-100 spacecraft made its international debut at the summit – called What’s Next? Navigating Global Challenges with the Innovation Generation – where experts discussed game-changing ideas.
The CST-100, which was designed at the Houston Product Support Centre, will carry crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit destinations such as the International Space Station (ISS) and the planned Bigelow station.
“We are at an inflection point in the space business,” said Chris Ferguson, Boeing’s commercial crew director and a former Nasa space shuttle commander.
“The trend is for commercial companies, like Boeing, to manage cargo and crew transport to low-Earth orbit destinations, while Nasa focuses on longer-range exploration missions like sending humans to Mars.
“It’s extremely important to have venues like the Innovation Summit, where leaders in multiple industries can share how big ideas are revolutionsing global industries.”
Two months ago, Boeing was awarded a US$4.2 billion (Dh15.42bn) contract from Nasa to build the next generation of human spacecraft.
The CST-100 will launch its first uncrewed flight in early 2017 and its first crewed flight to the ISS later that year.
Last week’s crash of a suborbital passenger spaceship being developed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has reignited questions on the safety of such missions.
SpaceShipTwo, on a test flight carrying a pilot and co-pilot, exploded over the Mojave Desert, killing the co-pilot.
The incident comes after a private unmanned Orbital Sciences rocket taking cargo to the International Space Station blew up six seconds into its flight.
But none of these have deterred Mr Branson’s estimated 800 space tourists who have paid or put down deposits to fly aboard the spaceship.
Their tickets have cost about $250,000 each.
Some of Virgin’s high-profile and wealthy space tourists include the US pop star Justin Bieber, the actor Ashton Kutcher and space scientist Alan Stern.
Mr Branson and his son are also expected to be on Virgin’s first commercial flight, expected to take off in spring next year.
Tuesday’s summit included discussions on people who are transcending borders to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
It also highlighted the work of researchers into areas such as next-generation aerospace engineering and design, sustainable and diverse energy economies, and big data and mobile technology, with a focus on cross-sector innovation.
In an attempt to get students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, the Abu Dhabi Education Council will exhibit the CST-100 mock-up at the Mubarak bin Mohammed School on November 9 and 10.
pkannan@thenational.ae