posted 08-18-2009 09:55 AM               

Excalibur Almaz to Pioneer Private Orbital Manned Space Flight
In cooperation with NPOM of Russia

Excalibur Almaz Limited (EA), an international space exploration company, today announced plans to open up a new era of private orbital space flight for commercial customers, using updated elements of the "Almaz" space system originally developed by JSC MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia.

Realization of EA's project with technical assistance from NPOM will allow regular access to and from space. This project joins Russian space technology expertise with an international private enterprise to create a commercial offering of orbital spaceflight services for global customers.

EA plans to offer week-long orbital space flights beginning as early as 2013 - taking a big leap beyond the sub-orbital flight market targeted by most other private space companies. In addition to NPOM, other leading aerospace firms in the U.S., Europe and Japan will provide technical support for EA's space flight operations.

The original Almaz space system technology, comprising reusable reentry vehicle (RRV) and space station, was successfully tested in flight by NPOM. Working with NPOM and its international contractors, EA is now updating the spacecraft to conduct crew and cargo space missions for private individuals, corporations, academic institutions and national governments.

EA Founder and CEO Art Dula said, "Through cooperation with NPOM and with the support of leading space contractors around the world and an exceptionally strong management and advisory team, EA is in a unique position to initiate a new era of private orbital space exploration."

Cosmonaut Vladimir Titov, advisor to EA in Russia, said, "With this announcement, the dream of private orbital space exploration may become a reality in the very near future."

EA has ownership of several Almaz spacecraft, including reusable reentry vehicles (RRVs) and space stations.

Original Almaz awaiting renovation. CREDIT: EA

EA will tailor space missions to accommodate customer objectives including exploration, cargo transportation and experimentation. On selected missions, spacecraft and space stations would provide platforms for microgravity scientific experiments, potentially serving the needs of governments and academic institutions.

EA's spacecraft will consist of two parts: an RRV and an expendable service module to provide crewmembers with room to comfortably operate during spaceflight. EA will update the Almaz RRVs with flight-proven technologies where appropriate, while retaining tested legacy systems to ensure safety and economy of operation. A critical feature of the RRVs is their reusability, which will reduce logistical, overhead and program costs for commercial access to space.

EA plans for its spacecraft to be compatible with a number of launch vehicles and capable of being launched from worldwide sites.

In addition to NPOM, leading aerospace firms contracting with EA include Space Flight Operations (SFO), a subsidiary of United Space Alliance, of the U.S.; Paragon Space Development Corporation of the U.S.; Qwaltec of the U.S.; EADS Astrium Space Transportation of Europe; and Japan Manned Space Systems (JAMSS) of Japan. EA has also formed strategic alliances with academic institutions including Rice University of the U.S and the International Space University of France, and is an Industry Forum member of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute of the U.S.

Established in 2005, EA is incorporated, headquartered and registered on the Isle of Man in the British Isles. EA's support contractors are in Russia, Europe, Japan and the U.S. EA's founders, executives and advisors include astronauts, cosmonauts and commercial aerospace business entrepreneurs.

About the Almaz program

The Almaz program was a military space program of the Soviet Union.

The rocket and space complex "Almaz" developed at NPOM comprised orbital manned space station, transport vehicle, reusable reentry vehicle (RRV) for 3 persons, a cargo capsule delivering information to the Earth, and ground support facilities.

This space complex was successfully tested both on the ground and in space. Three crews of Soviet cosmonauts worked on the manned orbital space stations. The RRVs went through nine flight tests, with two RRVs flown to orbit several times, demonstrating their reusability.

The rich legacy of the Almaz program continues to live in all space stations built to date. The orbital manned Almaz space station is the origin of the Salyut and Mir space stations, and the International Space Station (ISS) inherited from Almaz the configuration of its main service module "Zvezda."

The Almaz transport vehicle provided the basis for the ISS module "Zarya," and also for the Salyut-7 space station module Kosmos-1686 and a line of modules for the Mir space station.

posted 01-06-2011 04:06 PM               

Excalibur Almaz Space Stations arrive on Isle of Man

Excalibur Almaz Limited (EA), the international commercial space exploration company, is exporting two partially completed Almaz space stations from Russia to the IOM today. The stations and Excalibur Almaz' reusable return vehicles were developed by EA's Russian associate, JSC MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia.

The stations will be initially stored, followed by research, testing and possibly completion and launch to orbit. EA's initial flights to orbit will be in the flight tested Excalibur Almaz Reusable Return Vehicles joined to and supported by service module living and working habitats. The space stations themselves are part of EA's long-term business plan. It is not economically feasible to launch and sustain them on orbit until the company's flight rate reaches six or more flights per year. In addition to space tourism, the updated space stations could provide platforms for microgravity scientific experimentation to serve governments and academic institutions.

EA Founder and CEO Art Dula said, "This is another significant landmark towards achieving our stated goals with continuing technical support from leading aerospace firms in the US, Europe and Japan."

"We're very excited at this latest development involving Excalibur Almaz," said Tim Craine, Director of the Isle of Man Government's Business Development Agency. "Bringing the two Almaz Space Stations to the Island is a further exciting development and evidence of the Island's growing profile and reputation in the space world."

The Almaz space stations are approximately 11 meters long and four meters in diameter; and are directly related to the module design used on the International Space Station as well as the earlier Russian Salyut and Mir space stations. Other unique features of the Almaz stations include the largest window ever developed for a spacecraft, boasting over two meters of panoramic view of the Earth and stars.

About the Almaz program:

EA has ownership of several Almaz spacecraft, including reusable reentry vehicles (RRVs) and space stations. EA will tailor space missions to accommodate customer objectives including exploration, cargo transportation and experimentation. On selected missions, spacecraft and space stations would provide platforms for microgravity scientific experiments, potentially serving the needs of governments and academic institutions.

EA's spacecraft will consist of two parts: an RRV and an expendable service module to provide crewmembers with room to comfortably operate during spaceflight. EA will update the Almaz RRVs with flight-proven technologies where appropriate, while retaining tested legacy systems to ensure safety and economy of operation. A critical feature of the RRVs is their reusability, which will reduce logistical, overhead and program costs for commercial access to space.

EA plans for its spacecraft to be compatible with a number of launch vehicles and capable of being launched from worldwide sites.

In addition to NPOM, leading aerospace firms contracting with EA include Space Flight Operations (SFO), a subsidiary of United Space Alliance, of the U.S.; Paragon Space Development Corporation of the U.S.; Qwaltec of the U.S. and Japan Manned Space Systems (JAMSS) of Japan. EA has also formed strategic alliances with academic institutions including Rice University of the U.S and the International Space University of France, and is an Industry Forum member of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute of the U.S.

About Excalibur Almaz:

Excalibur Almaz's mission is to become the world leader in providing reliable, affordable and routine access to space for exploration, experimentation, and tourism for customers around the world. EA plans to accomplish this by leveraging proven flight tested products and systems from US, European, and Russian space programs to create value, reduce costs and reduce development time.

posted 05-29-2012 11:28 AM               

Excalibur Almaz announces lunar and deep space mission capability

Excalibur Almaz Limited (EA) CEO, Art Dula, announced on May 27, 2012 at the National Space Society's (NSS) International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Washington D.C. bold plans to reach farther than any other manned-space mission has traveled in recent years. In unveiling his company's lunar and deep space mission capability, Mr. Dula took another step toward achieving the next giant leap in space exploration and creating an affordable commercial space program.

"Excalibur Almaz's approach is to leverage the billions of dollars of past investment by governments of spacefaring nations and apply advanced technology on an as needed basis to develop a space architecture that provides efficient access to space for commercialization, research and exploration," said Mr. Dula.

As competition mounts in the new space race, Excalibur Almaz benefits from its high degree of technical readiness. This advantage includes already achieving nine successful Reusable Return Vehicle (RRV) Capsule flights, reentries and soft landings with one RRV being flight-tested three times in space and one RRV staying in orbit attached to a Salyut Space Station for 175 days. Numerous other ground and flight tests have also been performed on Excalibur Almaz's RRV Capsules with each RRV expected to be reusable for up to 15 spaceflights.

EA's large Salyut-type space stations are equivalent to modules flown in space on every space station since 1972. The Salyut-type modules on the Salyut-7 Space Station, Russian MIR Space Station and the Zarya module currently on the International Space Station have been proven during many thousands of hours on orbit.

"Using the modular architecture of our spacecraft and service/cargo modules, Excalibur Almaz transportation systems will provide the lowest development risk approach to create the first step in the infrastructure needed to provide commercially viable business activities in space, including asteroid and lunar mining, research and lunar and planetary exploration," said Mr. Dula.

Excalibur Almaz core space services will include passenger sales, crew & cargo transportation, payload transportation, deployment and recovery, tele-science and microgravity research, remote sensing and geological evaluations and mapping. Additional services will include charter missions, advertising and sponsorship opportunities, entertainment and astronaut training.

"Our RRV Crew Capsule and the larger Salyut-type Spacecraft will rendezvous and dock in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)," said Mr. Dula. "From LEO our space missions can then take multiple paths to lunar transfer orbit, Low Lunar Orbit, L2 and beyond for all forms of space commercial activities. The options include using low energy transfer orbits to travel to gravity-stable destinations called Lagrange Points, a traditional chemical injection stage and Hohmann transfer technique for a rapid trip or an Earth-Moon cycler orbit to fly by the Moon every two weeks."

The ISDC is just one stop in Mr. Dula's speaking tour unveiling his company's lunar and deep space mission capability. He will present EA's business case and markets and exhibit a twice-flown RRV Capsule at the Royal Aeronautical Society's 3rd European Space Tourism Conference in London June 19. Excalibur Almaz will then exhibit both of its 90-cubic meter habitable volume Spacecraft at the Space: From Foray to Habitation Conference on the Isle of Man, British Isles July 10.