[12-3-07 – Satellite Today] Northrop Grumman was awarded a four-year, $2.9 million contract to help the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory develop reusable launch systems, Northrop Grumman announced Dec. 3.
    Under the Advanced Development of Integrated Warm Structures contract, Northrop Grumman will demonstrate the relative weight and performance benefits of using different types of thermal protection systems and composite materials to produce reusable, two-stage-to-orbit launch systems. The contract will build on work that Northrop Grumman has done previously with NASA to mature the technologies for composite reusable launch vehicles.
    Northrop Grumman and the Air Force will design and produce hardware that will test the performance and durability of both metallic and non-metallic materials on traditional graphite-epoxy composites as well as a newer, more heat-resistant composite material called polyimide.
    In a second phase of the contract, the team will design and test a polyimide composite panel containing both metallic thermal protection systems and carbon-silicon carbide composite technology.