Four companies have been selected to continue work on small launch vehicles under the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Falcon programme to demonstrate a system capable of striking anywhere in the world from the USA within hours.
AirLaunch, Lockheed Martin, Microcosm and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) have been awarded contracts potentially worth $8-12 million to design and possibly demonstrate low-cost rapid-reaction launchers.
Under the Falcon concept, a manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle - called the enhanced common aero vehicle (ECAV) - carrying a penetrator warhead or other payload would be launched by an expendable small launch vehicle (SLV) or reusable hypersonic cruise vehicle (HCV).
Last month, a Lockheed Martin-led team was awarded a contract potentially worth more than $105 million to design and possibly demonstrate a hypersonic-technology testbed vehicle under the Falcon programme.
Under the SLV portion of the programme, each of the four contractors will complete detailed design of highly common small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) and ECAV launch vehicle (ECLV) demonstrator systems. The contracts include the option for an orbital flight demonstration of the SSLV by 2007.
Air Launch is proposing a rocket released from a transport aircraft, Microcosm its Scorpius low-cost booster, and SpaceX its private-venture Falcon launch vehicle.
The SSLV is required to launch a 450kg (1,000lb) payload into a 160km (100-mile) circular orbit at a total cost of less than $5 million based on 20 launches a year.
The ECLV is required to carry a 900kg ECAV over a range of at least 16,650km (9,000nm) with a surge rate of 16 launches in 24h. Both systems must attain alert status within 24h, from which the SSLV is able to launch within 24h and the ECLV in less than 2h.
Source: Flight International
