DARPA selects companies for XS-1 spaceplane program
Posted: Wed, Jul 16, 2014, 8:05 AM ET (1205 GMT)
A DOD agency has awarded contracts to three teams of companies to begin design work on high-speed vehicle intended to serve as a reusable first stage of a low-cost launch system. The Experimental Spaceplane 1 (XS-1) contracts, announced by DARPA on Tuesday, will go to Boeing, working with Blue Origin; Masten Space Systems, working with XCOR Aerospace; and Northrop Grumman, working with Virgin Galactic. Each contract is valued at several million dollars, and covers early design work on their XS-1 concepts. DARPA's goal with the overall XS-1 program is to develop a reusable vehicle capable of flying up to Mach 10 that, coupled with an expendable upper stage, could place payloads of up to a few thousand kilograms into orbit for less than $5 million per launch.
A DOD agency has awarded contracts to three teams of companies to begin design work on high-speed vehicle intended to serve as a reusable first stage of a low-cost launch system. The Experimental Spaceplane 1 (XS-1) contracts, announced by DARPA on Tuesday, will go to Boeing, working with Blue Origin; Masten Space Systems, working with XCOR Aerospace; and Northrop Grumman, working with Virgin Galactic. Each contract is valued at several million dollars, and covers early design work on their XS-1 concepts. DARPA's goal with the overall XS-1 program is to develop a reusable vehicle capable of flying up to Mach 10 that, coupled with an expendable upper stage, could place payloads of up to a few thousand kilograms into orbit for less than $5 million per launch.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, January 5
Starlink says it will provide service to people of Venezuela through Feb. 3
The Hill — 6:43 am ET (1143 GMT) Elon Musk’s Starlink offers free internet access in Venezuela following U.S. airstrikes and Maduro’s arrest
CNBC — 6:43 am ET (1143 GMT) Space Force requests launch provider interest in Cape and Vandenberg pads
NasaSpaceFlight.com — 6:42 am ET (1142 GMT) Rocket Lab Lands Massive Payload
Los Angeles Business Journal — 6:41 am ET (1141 GMT) Irishman leading construction of world's largest ever telescope
RTE — 6:38 am ET (1138 GMT) |
