spacetoday.net: space news from around the webin association with SpaceNews


DARPA cancels RASCAL program
Posted: Thu, Feb 3, 2005, 1:49 PM ET (1849 GMT)
RASCAL illustration (DARPA) The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has canceled an effort to develop a low-cost small launch vehicle that utilized a high-speed aircraft, Space News reported Wednesday. DARPA said this week it elected not to proceed with the Responsive Access, Small Cargo, Affordable Launch (RASCAL) program, which completed a "Phase 2" design-and-development stage late last year. RASCAL, under development by a team led by Space Launch Corporation, would have used a high-speed aircraft what climbed to about 60 kilometers altitude, where it would deploy an expendable rocket to place small satellites in orbit. RASCAL was intended to launch satellites weighing up to 150 kilograms into low Earth orbit for as little as $10,000 a kilogram, and perform such launches on just 24 hours' notice. The fate of RASCAL had been in doubt for months, particularly after DARPA Director Tony Tether expressed doubts about the program at a smallsat conference in Utah in August. DARPA will instead proceed with other efforts to develop low-cost responsive launchers, such as the FALCON program. Space Launch Corporation officials said RASCAL was their main source of revenue, but that they are exploring other opportunities.
<<previous article   next article>>
news in brief

SpaceX launches Indonesia communications satellite
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:07 AM ET (0807 GMT)

Soyuz launches Progress cargo spacecraft to ISS
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:06 AM ET (0806 GMT)

news links
Thursday, September 18
Rocket Lab Looks To Raise $750M In Share Sale
Aviation Week — 1:53 am ET (0553 GMT)
Update: SpaceX Launch from Vandenberg Rescheduled Due to Weather
Santa Barbara (CA) Edhat — 1:50 am ET (0550 GMT)


about spacetoday.net   ·   info@spacetoday.net   ·   mailing list