New generation of launch vehicles

"The X PRIZE Foundation

"The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational (501c3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity, thereby inspiring the formation of new industries and the revitalization of markets that are currently stuck due to existing failures or a commonly held belief that a solution is not possible. The Foundation addresses the world’s Grand Challenges by creating and managing large-scale, high-profile, incentivized prize competitions that stimulate investment in research and development worth far more than the prize itself. It motivates and inspires brilliant innovators from all disciplines to leverage their intellectual and financial capital.

The X PRIZE Foundation conducts competitions in four Prize Groups: Education & Global Development; Energy & Environment; Life Sciences; and Exploration (Ocean & Deep Space). It is a US-based organization led by Chairman & CEO, Dr. Peter H. Diamandis and Co-Chairman & President, Robert K. Weiss, as well as governed by a group of visionary leaders including the Board of Trustees, Vision Circle members, Spirit of Innovation members, corporate partners and sponsors. Today, the X PRIZE Foundation is widely recognized as the leader in fostering innovation through incentivized competition." ... more

Bristol Spaceplanes
"BSP has been an industry leader in spaceplane design for nearly twenty years. Our clients include the European Space Agency (ESA), and our work has been used to further NASA studies on reusable launch vehicles and space tourism. BSP has also received feasibility study contracts from ESA and the UK Department of Trade and Industry.

Bristol Spaceplanes (BSP) was formed in 1991 to realise low-cost access to space by exploiting the decades of spaceplane design experience of its founders. Since then it has created plans for the Ascender sub-orbital spaceplane, designed in-house from off-the-shelf technology.

BSP has evolved a step-by-step development strategy leading from Ascender to orbital spaceflight; this strategy includes the BSP-designed Spacecab orbital spaceplane. Spacecab has features aimed at low development cost and risk, and is a candidate to be the first fully reusable vehicle capable of reaching orbit. More importantly, Spacecab would trigger a new space age of low-cost access to space. Our internal studies show that Spacecab and follow-on vehicles would enable the cost of the first lunar base to be reduced by a factor of ten, compared with present plans using large new expendable launchers." ... more

;Kelly Space & Technology, Inc.

"Kelly Space & Technology, Inc. (KST) has developed patented technologies for the world's only tow launch system known as the EXPRESS Spaceplane (also referred to as the Astroliner). The EXPRESS Spaceplane is composed primarily of off-the-shelf and flight-proven components, with a clear objective that no new technology developments are needed, thereby, minimizing technical risk.

KST developed and demonstrated the first phase of its tow launch system in cooperation with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The tow-launch demonstrations involved a series of air-tows of the QF-106 interceptor behind a C-141 aircraft to altitudes of up to 25,000 feet. The EXPRESS vehicle system is sufficiently robust to target a range of market applications such as space tourism.

The EXPRESS combines the integration of mature technologies with standard practices from both the aerospace and aircraft industries. This results in a reusable launch vehicle (RLV), with large performance margins and low risk characteristics. The EXPRESS system uses a manned air launched vehicle consisting of a reusable, fly-back winged vehicle.

The key to the advantage offered by the EXPRESS is its method of launch. The EXPRESS is towed from a runway to the launch point as a glider, using a tow aircraft such as the Boeing 747. The KST patented tow-launch technology provides performance margins that allow major portions of the system to be made reusable, which results in the optimum trade between operational costs and development costs and risks. The largest and most costly segments of the system (tow aircraft and space vehicle) are reusable. Each major element of the launch system is optimized for its flight environment. The EXPRESS, coupled with the tow aircraft, is designed for efficient low-altitude, subsonic performance, while the EXPRESS itself is designed for efficient operation in the thinner atmosphere at supersonic and hypersonic flight regimes. " ... more

Rocketplane Global, Inc. (RGI)

"Rocketplane Global, Inc. (RGI) was founded in 2001 as an Oklahoma Corporation with a vision to be a driving force in the future of commercial space flight. Rocketplane opened its first office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in May 2004, with three employees and a dialup web connection. In the last four years, RGI has significantly advanced the design of our XP suborbital vehicle and reduced risk in many technological fronts.

Rocketplane's strongest asset is our skilled team of engineers, analysts, managers, and support staff. Our combined vision is to create a series of highly reusable and safe space vehicles to serve the markets in the suborbital, point-to-point, orbital regions and beyond. Our spaceplane designs push the boundaries of conventional aerospace thinking as we strive for high reusability and reliability, aircraft-like operations, and flexibility to serve a variety of military and commercial applications.

Rocketplane’s philosophy is built on the dreams of a combined number of people committed to making space travel a reality in our lifetime. With a number of strategic partnerships both contractually and via networking Rocketplane is strategically advanced with government and public entities all across the United States and internationally. " ... more

Microcosm

"Established in 1984, Microcosm is a small business, specializing in reducing space mission cost. Our experience covers commercial, military, and scientific missions from small, low-cost programs to multi-billion dollar, multi-satellite constellations and a family of launch vehicles.

Scorpius® is a new generation of expendable launch vehicles intended to reduce the cost of launch to orbit by a factor of 5 to 10.

The Scorpius® program is a total "clean-sheet" development using new technologies for pressure-fed, LOX/Jet-A propellants, all new low cost ablative engines, and GPS/INS guidance/control.

Funding for the ongoing Scorpius program has been provided primarily by the Air Force, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), NASA, and Microcosm internal R&D." ... more

XCOR Aerospace
XCOR Aerospace is a small, privately-held California C Corporation founded in 1999. The company has evolved from its original four founders, working out of our chief engineer's tiny hangar, to a team of 20 plus highly-skilled, experienced and talented employees housed in a 10,375 square foot hangar on the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. The company is the path to the dream of spaceflight for its founders who recognize that the only way for them to get to space is to make it affordable for private citizens.

XCOR is focused on the research, development, project management and production of safe, reliable, reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), rocket engines and rocket propulsion systems. In just eleven years the firm has developed and built twelve different rocket engines and built and flown two manned rocket-powered aircraft. The EZ-Rocket, completed in 2001, was the first such vehicle built and flown by a non-government entity.

In 2008 we completed flight testing of our second vehicle, the X-Racer, ending the test program with a record-setting seven flights in one day. Between the two vehicles, XCOR has safely flown a piloted rocket operations demonstrator aircraft 67 times. Those flights successfully proved that our reusable rocket engines are capable of intact abort, multiple flights per day and in-flight restarts. Our team has accumulated nearly 4,000 engine firings and 500 minutes of run time on our engines.

The Lynx
The Lynx is XCOR's entry into the commercial reusable launch vehicle (RLV) market. This two-seat, piloted space transport vehicle will take humans and payloads on a half-hour suborbital flight to 100 km (330,000 feet) and then return safely to a landing at the takeoff runway.

Like an aircraft, Lynx is a horizontal takeoff and horizontal landing vehicle, but instead of a jet or piston engine, Lynx uses its own fully reusable rocket propulsion system to depart a runway and return safely. This approach is unique compared to most other RLVs in development, such as conventional vertical rocket launches and air-launched winged rocket vehicles "dropped" at altitude from a jet powered mothership." ... more

Sea-launch
"Sea Launch was formed in response to increased market demand for a more affordable and reliable commercial satellite launch service. During a remarkably short span of five years, the Sea Launch partners built an entire launch infrastructure and operating launch system. Privately financed, this is an industry first.

Today, Sea Launch combines proven launch systems with marine-based operations to provide heavy-lift launch services for commercial customers around the globe. The Sea Launch partnership combines the best in aerospace/marine technologies and personnel. This team is committed to providing superior value, flexibility, reliability, accuracy and performance. Sea Launch responds to customer needs." ... more

Spacex
"In an era when most technology based products follow a path of ever-increasing capability and reliability while simultaneously reducing costs, launch vehicles today are little changed from those of 40 years ago. SpaceX aims to change this paradigm by developing a family of launch vehicles which will ultimately reduce the cost and increase the reliability of space access by a factor of ten. Coupled with the newly emerging market for private and commercial space transport, this new model will re-ignite humanity's efforts to explore and develop Space.

Our company is based on the philosophy that simplicity, low-cost, and reliability can go hand in hand. By eliminating the traditional layers of management, internally, and sub-contractors, externally, we reduce our costs while speeding decision making and delivery. Likewise, by keeping the vast majority of manufacturing in house, we reduce our costs, keep tighter control of quality, and ensure a tight feedback loop between the design and manufacturing teams. And by focusing on simple, proven designs with a primary focus on reliability, we reduce the costs associated with complex systems operating at the margin.

Established in 2002 by Elon Musk , the founder of PayPal and the Zip2 Corporation, SpaceX has already developed two brand new launch vehicles, established an impressive launch manifest, and been awarded COTS funding by NASA to demonstrate delivery and return of cargo to the International Space Station. Supported by this order book and Mr. Musk's substantial resources, SpaceX is on an extremely sound financial footing as we move towards volume commercial launches.

Although drawing upon a rich history of prior launch vehicle and engine programs, SpaceX is privately developing the Dragon crew and cargo capsule and the Falcon family of rockets from the ground up, including main and upper stage engines, the cryogenic tank structure, avionics, guidance & control software and ground support equipment. " ... more

Universal Space Lines LLC (USL) provides innovative, cost effective solutions for aerospace applications to industry and government:

    - Flight mechanics design, analysis, and software
    - Mission operations command and control systems
    - Avionics design and integration for atmospheric and space vehicles


The USL team has a history of successful innovation and flight experience in the aerospace industry, including:

    - Flight and ground system software and avionics
    - Military aircraft avionics
    - Launch vehicle guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) and avionics
    - Satellite tracking network hardware and software." ... more

Scaled Composites, LLC

Scaled Composites, LLC is an aerospace and specialty composites development company located in Mojave, California (about 80 miles north of Los Angeles).

Founded in 1982 by Burt Rutan, Scaled has broad experience in air vehicle design, tooling and manufacturing, specialty composite structure design, analysis and fabrication, and developmental flight tests of air and space vehicles.

The employees at Scaled come from a diverse background of talents, experience, and interests. This unique combination of individuals helps promote an innovative and creative atmosphere. Scaled offers the opportunity to pursue career and personal interests in a manner that can be found nowhere else by following one simple rule: have fun.

Having flight tested one new air vehicle per year on average since our founding in 1982, Scaled has the experience necessary to provide our customers with the development data they need.

We look to the future with the same focus on the approach we have used in the past; creating an enjoyable, rewarding work environment to achieve success while attacking difficult challenges." ... more

Safety is Virgin Galactic's North Star. It is at the heart of the design of our new vehicles and will be engrained in the culture of our space line operation. For nearly 30 years, Scaled Composites, the designers and builders of Virgin Galactic's space launch system, has been responsible for some of the world's most innovative experimental aircraft and has a safety record that is second to none. It has established a culture and an approach to design which like Virgin Galactic, is predicated on safety. Scaled's design philosophy is based on simplicity. The rationale is that a complex system has an increased chance of failure, therefore risk reduction has been the most important design element in the new vehicles.

Safer by Design

SpaceShipTwo is a rocket powered space plane and launches horizontally from an aircraft at around 50,000ft rather than the vertically from the ground as has been normal for space craft of the past. Ground launch comes with intrinsic dangers. The craft has to pass through the lower, denser regions of the atmosphere whilst rocket motor's exhaust is ejected at very high velocity and for the motor to work efficiently the spacecraft velocity must also be very high. Of course, traveling at very high speeds in the lower atmosphere creates a great deal of drag, produces high structural loads and needs a stronger heavier fuselage. Large quantities of fuel are required for the longer duration burn, meaning a bigger-still fuselage, leading to yet more weight, leading in turn to a requirement for more fuel to lift the extra weight, and so on. Effectively detonating a huge bomb at ground level means everything has to go right first time - if it doesn't there are generally few options for those inside.

Burt Rutan calculated that the safest and most efficient strategy was to air-launch his spacecraft from around 50,000ft, a height at which it is already above most of the Earth's atmosphere. This also meant that the rocket motor had to burn only for a very short time in order to reach space and that if there were any problems during the boost phase, the rocket motor could simply be shut down and the spaceship would return as a glider to the runway." ... more