Andrews Space Awarded USAF Reusable Booster System Study Contract
Seattle WA (SPX) Mar 08, 2011 Andrews Space (Andrews) has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the United States Air Force (USAF) to study higher risk aspects of the Air Force's proposed Reusable Booster System. The USAF is studying Reusable Booster System (RBS) technologies and operations concepts to better define future risk reduction flight demonstration requirements. The RBS consists of a reusable first stage booster and an expendable upper-stage stack. The RBS is expected to reduce launch costs by at least 50% at a nominal flight rate of eight per year. Under the RBS contract Andrews will evaluate the optimal staging conditions and approach for flying the reusable first stage back to the launch site. In addition, Andrews will analyze and optimize the staging maneuver and identify options for safely recovering the payload in the event of an abort. "We are honored that the USAF has selected Andrews for this important effort," said Jason Andrews, President and CEO of Andrews Space. "Andrews is leveraging our previous work on the USAF Hybrid Launch Vehicle to refine the system design and operating approach." "In addition, we are currently under contract to NASA to evaluate Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle architectures and propulsion technologies," continued Andrews. "We are looking at possible areas for propulsion or technology synergy between the NASA and USAF efforts." The results of this study will help the Air Force refine its RBS architecture and define demonstration requirements for future RBS test vehicles.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Andrews Space Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
World's Largest Rocket Production Base Takes Shape In North China Beijing, China (XNA) Mar 04, 2011 The world's largest design, production and testing base for rockets is being built in north China's Tianjin Municipality, Liang Xiaohong, deputy head of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, told Xinhua Thursday. The first phase of the rocket industrial base in Tianjin's Binhai New Area will be completed within the year. Rocket parts will be designed, manufactured, assembled and ... read more |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |