Excalibur Almaz

Excalibur Almaz had its headquarters in Douglas, Isle of Man, with offices in Houston, Los Angeles, Moscow, and Tokyo.{{Cite web|last=Atkinson|first=Nancy|date=2009-08-18|title=Once Classified Russian Rockets to be Used for Commercial Space Venture|url=https://www.universetoday.com/37719/once-classified-russian-rockets-to-be-used-for-commercial-space-venture/|access-date=2020-07-27|website=Universe Today|language=en-US}} The company planned to provide a variety of deep space crewed exploration missions, micro-gravity science, and payload delivery. EA also aimed to offer Low Earth Orbit cargo and crew delivery and return.{{cite press release |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xcor-and-excalibur-almaz-sign-mou-for-suborbital-training-services-159753225.html |publisher=XCOR Aerospace |title=XCOR and Excalibur Almaz sign MOU for suborbital training services |date=20 June 2012 |access-date=6 July 2012 |via=PR Newswire }}

In 2009, Excalibur Almaz hoped to begin flights by 2012 with revenue flights starting as early as 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0908/18almaz/ |title=Beating swords into plough shares with Soviet Almaz |publisher=Spaceflight Now |date=18 August 2009 |access-date=6 July 2012 |author= Craig Covault}}{{cite web |url=http://www.onorbit.com/node/1395 |title=Excalibur Almaz to Pioneer Private Orbital Manned Space Flight In cooperation with NPOM of Russia |author=Keith Cowing |publisher=OnOrbit alpha |date=18 August 2009 |access-date=6 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418173127/http://www.onorbit.com/node/1395 |archive-date=18 April 2012 }}

In October 2011, NASA signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement for work related to the Commercial Crew Development program.{{cite news |title=Excalibur Almaz gets an unfunded CCDev agreement |url=http://www.newspacejournal.com/2011/10/26/excalibur-almaz-gets-an-unfunded-ccdev-agreement/ |access-date=2011-10-27 |newspaper=NewSpace Journal |date=2011-10-26}} In July 2012, Excalibur Almaz Inc. (EAI) successfully completed its Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program.{{cite press release |url=http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/eai_spaceact_complete.html |date=6 July 2012 |title=NASA and Excalibur Almaz Inc. Complete Space Act Agreement |publisher=NASA |access-date=6 July 2012 |archive-date=11 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311115419/http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/eai_spaceact_complete.html |url-status=dead }}

In 2010, Jonathan Clark, NASA flight surgeon on six Space Shuttle missions—and whose wife, Laurel Clark, died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on shuttle mission STS-107—was a consultant on space suit and crew biological environment design for Excalibur Almaz.{{when|date=March 2025}}{{cite web |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/impossible/felix-baumgartner-skydive-0810-6 |title=The Man Who Would Fall to Earth |publisher=Esquire |author=Luke Dittrich |date=14 July 2010 |access-date=6 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116132007/http://www.esquire.com/felix-baumgartner-skydive-0810-6 |archive-date=16 November 2012 }}

In January 2012, Excalibur Almaz updated its mission service offerings to include lunar and deep space capabilities. Based on independent market studies, these missions beyond Low Earth Orbit will provide the best business opportunity for commercial space transportation companies. Because of these more ambitious service offerings, Excalibur Almaz had pushed back its first launch to 2015.

In June 2012, Excalibur Almaz signed an agreement with XCOR Aerospace for suborbital familiarisation and flight training services.{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-06/21/xcor-excalibur-almaz |title=XCOR to provide spaceflight experience for Excalibur Almaz missions |author=Charles Black |publisher=Wired UK |date=21 June 2012 |access-date=6 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623220258/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-06/21/xcor-excalibur-almaz |archive-date=23 June 2012 }}

In 2012, plans, design and flight safety reviews were planned for 2015.{{cite web |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2012/06/20/fly-me-to-the-moon/ |title=Fly Me to the Moon |author=Ben Rooney |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=20 June 2012 |access-date=6 July 2012 }}{{update after|2016|1|2}}

According to a 2012 interview with Art Dula, the chairman of Excalibur Almaz, the Excalibur Almaz capsule was supposedly at a "very high level of technical readiness" and could be flown within two to three years. The main issue of the first crewed flight of the Excalibur Almaz capsule was regulatory, according to Dula, as the VA capsule had already completed nine uncrewed test flights during the Almaz program, all of which were successful.{{cite web|title=Interview with Art Dula (Chairman Excalibur Almaz) – Part 4|url=http://vimeo.com/43499577 |publisher=moonandback.com (vimeo.com)|access-date=4 September 2012}}

The company had entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement with NASA as part of the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities in 2011,{{cite web |title=CCP and Excalibur Sign Space Act Agreement |date=26 October 2011 |editor-last1=Ryba |editor-first1=Jeanne |publisher=NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/CCP-Excalibur.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205040339/https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/CCP-Excalibur.html |archive-date=5 February 2023 |url-status=live }} but was not selected to receive funding under any phases of it.{{cite press release |url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/releases/2012/release-20120803.html |title=NASA Announces Next Steps in Effort to Launch Americans from U.S. Soil |date=3 August 2012 |publisher=NASA |access-date=3 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410002445/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/releases/2012/release-20120803.html |archive-date=10 April 2023 |url-status=live }}

In March 2016, plans were announced to have the equipment converted into an educational exhibit, owing to lack of funds.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/shooting-for-the-moon-time-called-on-isle-of-man-space-race-10101750.html|title = Shooting for the Moon: Time is called on Isle of Man space race|website = Independent.co.uk|date = 11 March 2015}}

However, the company still exists as Excalibur Almaz Limited.{{cite web | title=About | website=Excalibur Almaz | url=https://excaliburalmaz.com/0001_Overview.html | access-date=22 March 2025}}

Excalibur Almaz is based in Douglas, Isle of Man.

{{Main|Tourism on Moon}}

{{main|Almaz|TKS (spacecraft)|VA capsule}}

Excalibur Almaz was designing a spacecraft based on the VA capsule hull from the TKS spacecraft. The VA is a space capsule from the Soviet space program, originally designed for the military Almaz space station program. The needed development of propulsion systems for the VA capsule was reportedly delegated to a then undisclosed European organisation as early as 2009.{{cite web|title=Almaz Excalibur|url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/almaz_excalibur.html|publisher=RussianSpaceWeb.com|access-date=30 August 2012}} While the needed service module for an Excalibur Almaz capsule would have superficially resemble the FGB of the TKS spacecraft, it is based on Astrium's ATV design according to Art Dula, the chairman of Excalibur Almaz.{{cite web|title=Interview with Art Dula (Chairman Excalibur Almaz) – Part 2|url=http://vimeo.com/43503899|publisher=moonandback.com (vimeo.com)|access-date=4 September 2012}}

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The potential Excalibur Almaz stations was to use two hulls from the Almaz space station program. The company's Soviet-era spacecraft were moved from Russia to Excalibur Almaz facilities on the Isle of Man in early 2011. EA "planned to use the modules to provide extra room and supplies for the tourists and researchers it hoped to ferry into space."{{cite web |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19949-fledgling-space-firm-will-use-old-soviet-gear.html |title=Fledgling space firm will use old Soviet gear |publisher=New Scientist |author=Rachel Courtland |date=12 January 2011 |access-date=6 July 2012 }} Excalibur Almaz's two Salyut-class 29-ton space stations, each with a capacity of 95 cubic meters will serve as the heart of its lunar and deep space capabilities. The Soviet-era electronics have been completely gutted and supposedly replaced with modern avionics supplied from an unnamed company.

By using modernised, tried-and-tested equipment rather than developing technology from scratch, the project was reportedly saving around $2 billion in development costs. The Russian Proton rocket, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, was intended to be used to launch one of the spacecraft into space, where it would have remained. Astronauts were to use the Excalibur Almaz RRVs to get to and from the spacecraft.

Excalibur Almaz had established a 2012 agreement with XCOR Aerospace to provide a suite of suborbital flight experiences as training milestones in preparation for orbital and trans-lunar missions.{{cite press release |title=XCOR & Excalibur Almaz sign agreement on suborbital training services |url=http://www.xcor.com/press-releases/2012/12-06-20_XCOR-and-excalibur_almaz-sign-suborbital-training-service.html |access-date=6 July 2012 |publisher=XCOR Aerospace |date=20 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626080312/http://xcor.com/press-releases/2012/12-06-20_XCOR-and-excalibur_almaz-sign-suborbital-training-service.html |archive-date=26 June 2012 }}

In 2010, Excalibur Almaz partnered with Space Launch Services (SLS) to finance Sea Launch's preparations to emerge from Chapter 11 with US$12 million of debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to provide investment in a financial reorganisation of Sea Launch. SLS earlier provided $12.5 million of DIP funds to Sea Launch in December 2009.[http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Sea_Launch_Gets_Court_Approval_To_Raise_More_Money_999.html Sea Launch Gets Court Approval To Raise More Money]

A secondhand Soviet-era space capsule that launched into space twice was set to be sold in Belgium on 2014-05-07. The Russian VA (Vozvraschaemyi Apparat, return vehicle) crew and cargo spacecraft was offered by the Berlin-based Lempertz auction house at its newly opened gallery in Brussels. The capsule was said to be the first historic spacecraft to be put up for sale in Europe. The VA capsule was sold to Excalibur Almaz (EA), a British company that planned to reuse the Soviet artefacts to offer commercial spaceflight services. In total, EA acquired four VA capsules and two Almaz (Salyut) modules in hopes of flying the combined spacecraft as a crew and cargo transportation system to the Moon, the asteroids and deep space. The VA spacecraft being offered still bears the Excalibur Almaz name and logo, as well as the flags of Russia, the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the United States.{{cite web |url=http://www.space.com/25773-soviet-space-capsule-for-sale.html |title= Used Spacecraft for Sale: Soviet-Era Space Capsule Up for Auction in Belgium |publisher=collectSpace.com |date=6 May 2014 |author=Robert Z. Pearlman }} It was sold to an anonymous bidder for 1 million euro.{{cite web |url=http://www.parabolicarc.com/2014/05/09/excalibur-almaz-space-capsule-bought-auction/ |title= Excalibur Almaz Space Capsule Bought at Auction |publisher=parabolicarc.com |date=19 May 2014 |author=Doug Messier }}

In September 2013 Dula, J. Buckner Hightower and Excalibur Almaz Ltd. were brought to court under the charges of fraud of $300,000 for the planned asteroid mining project. The case ended with conciliation in January 2014.{{cite web | url = http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/11/12/japanese-billionaire-sues-space-lawyer.htm | title =Japanese Billionaire Sues 'Space Lawyer'| author = Cameron Langford | date = 12 November 2014 }}

In November 2014 Art Dula, Dula's law office associate Anat Friedman, his business partner J. Buckner Hightower, The Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust, Excalibur Limited, Excalibur Almaz Limited and Excalibur Almaz USA Inc were all sued by Japanese entrepreneur Takafumi Horie for fraud. The amount mentioned was $49 million, allegedly provided by Takafumi to run the company. It is alleged that some of the money was spent to buy Soviet hardware, which, as the businessman states, turned out to be "museum specimens". Some of the money was also transferred into Dula's own name. Other alleged irregularities included reducing Takafumi's shareholding percentage.

In March 2015 one of the two hulls of Soviet-built Almaz space stations, along with the remaining VA capsule, was shipped to the Isle of Man's seaport.{{cite web |url=http://www.parabolicarc.com/2015/03/11/line-excalibur-almaz/ |title= End of the Line for Excalibur Almaz? |publisher=parabolicarc.com |date=11 March 2015 |author=Doug Messier }} The destination of the hardware remained unknown until it was moved to the Isle of Man Motor Museum in 2021.{{cite news |title=To Jurby and beyond! Russian spacecraft transported to Manx Motor Museum |url=https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-08-12/to-jurby-and-beyond-spacecraft-transported-to-manx-motor-museum |work=ITV |date=12 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821181749/https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-08-12/to-jurby-and-beyond-spacecraft-transported-to-manx-motor-museum |archive-date=21 August 2023 |url-status=live }}

{{Reflist|2}}

• Siddiqi, Asif A., The Almaz Space Station Complex: A History. 1964–1992, part 1, JBIS, Vol 54, No 11/12, November/December 2001.
• Excalibur Almaz Limited AAS Presentation, 16 November 2005
• Dr. Jamie Floyd, Assessment of the Almaz Capsule for Space Station Assured Crew Return (ACRV), McDonnell Douglas Aerospace MDC 97W5151, January 1997.

• [http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Almprog/almprog.htm Grahn, Sven. The Almaz Space Station Complex ]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20011225044927/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/almaz.htm Wade, Mark. Almaz ]
• [http://www.russianspaceweb.com/almaz.html Russian Space Web. The Almaz Program ]

{{Space stations}}

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Category:Private spaceflight companies

Category:Cancelled space stations

Category:Tourism on the Moon

Category:Space programme of the United Kingdom

Category:Companies of the Isle of Man

Category:Technology companies established in 2005

Category:Transport companies established in 2005

Category:2005 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Technology companies of England

Category:Transport companies of England

Category:Transport in the Isle of Man