AirLaunch advances....

[docm]

Link....<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><b>AIRLAUNCH LLC, DARPA, AND U.S. AIR FORCE KICKOFF PHASE 2C</b><br /><br /> Kirkland, Washington (July 16, 2007) -Air Launch LLC announced today that it has received approval from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Air Force to continue into Phase 2C of the Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program. DARPA and the Air Force will jointly fund this phase of the program, valued at $7.6 million, with DARPA providing program management and the Air Force Research Laboratory providing technical support. <br />Phase 2C will focus on propulsion characterization of the company’s innovative liquid oxygen (LOX)/propane vapor pressurization (VaPak) propulsion system.<br /><br />Phase 2C Milestones include upgrades to hardware, instrumentation, and test stands; and a series of test fires on the Horizontal Test Stand (HTS) to gather data on engine performance and on the Vertical Test Stand (VTS) to more comprehensively characterize second stage performance.<br /><br />“Phase 2C enables us to show the utility of our system to other vehicle applications, in addition to our QuickReachâ„¢ small launch vehicle,†said Debra Facktor Lepore, president of AirLaunch LLC. “We also intend to pursue other applications of our unique AirLaunch architecture.â€<br /> <br />To date, AirLaunch has conducted 50 test fires of its innovative propulsion system, all using VaPak. The QuickReachâ„¢ second stage engine has been fired 45 times, totaling 359.5 seconds, on the Horizontal Test Stand, in addition to several cold flow tests. Five test fires, totaling 315.5 seconds, have been performed on the Vertical Test Stand with the QuickReachâ„¢ Integrated Stage 2 (IS2), in addition to several propellant loading and conditioning tests. The IS2 firings incorporated ground propellant loading operations and flight-type avionics, softw</p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[holmec]

Thanks for the info docm.<br />I'm glad their moving ahead. I see air launched systems as being the next 'evolution' in launching tech. If it goes commercial, it may lower the price of launching a satellite.<br /><br />Critics of this type of system say you cannot make a plane big enough to launch humans in orbit. Well how do they ever forget Howard Hughes and the "Spruce Goose" which though it was made of wood, its wingspan was larger than any plane flying today at 97.5 meters.<br /><br />large aircraft link<br /><br />If Hughes was able to make a flying machine that large with wood, then how large can Rutan make a wing using composites? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>