DARPA picks Space Launch Corporation for RASCAL contract
Posted: Fri, Mar 14, 2003, 9:02 AM ET (1402 GMT)
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced late Thursday that it has selected Space Launch Corporation as the sole winner of Phase 2 of a program to develop a low-cost small launcher. Space Launch Corp. was one of six companies selected last April as Phase 1 winners of the Responsive Access Small Cargo Affordable Launch (RASCAL) program to develop a partially-reusable two-stage vehicle. The 18-month Phase 2 contract covers design, development, and risk reduction of critical technologies for the launch system. The RASCAL vehicle would feature a reusable first-stage hypersonic aircraft using mass turbojet technology that would fly to high altitude, where it would deploy an expendable rocket-powered upper stage. RASCAL is designed to place 75 kilograms into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit within 24 hours of payload arrival for no more than $750,000. DARPA had planned to select two Phase 2 contract winners, later downselecting to a single company to build the RASCAL vehicle, but decided to select only one company to save money. DARPA will decide at the end of Phase 2 whether to proceed with construction of the vehicle, which would be ready for flight in fiscal year 2006. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced late Thursday that it has selected Space Launch Corporation as the sole winner of Phase 2 of a program to develop a low-cost small launcher. Space Launch Corp. was one of six companies selected last April as Phase 1 winners of the Responsive Access Small Cargo Affordable Launch (RASCAL) program to develop a partially-reusable two-stage vehicle. The 18-month Phase 2 contract covers design, development, and risk reduction of critical technologies for the launch system. The RASCAL vehicle would feature a reusable first-stage hypersonic aircraft using mass turbojet technology that would fly to high altitude, where it would deploy an expendable rocket-powered upper stage. RASCAL is designed to place 75 kilograms into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit within 24 hours of payload arrival for no more than $750,000. DARPA had planned to select two Phase 2 contract winners, later downselecting to a single company to build the RASCAL vehicle, but decided to select only one company to save money. DARPA will decide at the end of Phase 2 whether to proceed with construction of the vehicle, which would be ready for flight in fiscal year 2006. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
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