Driven by the desire to reduce launch costs, industry entrepreneurs are aggressively continuing launch vehicle development plans in hopes of ushering in cheaper, more reliable spacecraft that will enable the global space community to achieve their space business goals.

The reusable launch vehicle (RLV) community is designing vehicles that will have quick-turnaround operations, allowing for a higher volume and launch rate, which may result in positive economies of scale. Many studies suggest that reductions in launch costs will enable the emergence and development of new space mission and businesses.

According to the third annual Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, Reusable Launch Vehicle Programs and Concepts, 1999 saw a number of significant steps toward the development of fully operational reusable launch vehicles. Several RLV companies conducted flight and component hardware tests, materializing the blueprint concepts to the space community.

Some of the major events related to the reusable launch vehicle industry in 1999 were:

• Rotary Rocket Co. completing its initial transnational flight of the Roton atmospheric test vehicle;
• Successful testing completed on the first powerpack for Lockheed Martin Corp.’s [LMT] X-33’s linear aerospike engine;
• An industry-led study, the “Space Transportation Architecture Study,” concluded that replacing the current U.S. space shuttle fleet with a new generation of RLVs could reduce the cost and improve the safety of travelling to space;
• Orbital Sciences Corp. [ORB] rolled out its X-34 vehicle, the first in a series of three;
• Kistler Aerospace Corp. moved forward with its test flights of the K1;
• Space Access LLC announced that it will pursue special government certification for its planned SA 1 reusable spaceplane. This action will allow the company to officially classify the SA 1 as a commercial aircraft; and
• Beal Aerospace Technologies Inc.’s test of its Stage 2 engine.

In addition to the established RLV initiatives currently underway, the report briefly sites three additional concepts under consideration for development. Unlike the others, these initiatives are in their infancy and information on their development is limited.

The first is a proposal put forth by Platforms International Corp. for a crewless aerial vehicle dubbed the Spaceray. This spaceplane will be capable of carrying an expendable booster for satellite launches.

The second program is proposed by the Russian aerosapce company Molniya for development of its Molniya Multipurpose Aerosapce System (MAKS). This spaceplane would be air- launched form the back of an AN-124 transport aircraft.

Finally, the third proposal entered the scene from Universal Space lines. It plans on developing a fully reusable vehicle called the SpaceClipper, designed primarily for space tourism and transportation mission.

Spaceports

With next-generation vehicle development, naturally, new launch site developments would follow suit. Today, commercialization of the U.S. launch infrastructure is evident, with commercially operated launch facilities making significant progress toward realization.

Industry leaders are recognizing the fact that the future competitive growth of the U.S. launch industry will require more facilities for vehicles to launch and land than the two main federal launch ranges of Cape Cana-veral Air Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. According to the report, many states are encouraging the development of spaceports through a variety of monetary grants and legislative activity.

Among the states leading the pack is Montana. The proposed Montana Spaceport primarily is seeking RLV business. Currently, the Montana Space Development Authority is in the process of obtaining a commercial spaceport license.

In addition, Nevada also is promoting a site as a spaceport for both RLVs and conventional launchers. According to the report, a task force was formed last year to facilitate the growth of an aerospace industry in Nevada. Kistler already has selected the Nevada test site in order to increase its launch availability.

Likewise New Mexico, Texas, and Utah plan on revving up their spaceport proposals this year. All three sites hope to offer multiple services to launch companies ranging from integration, recovery and maintenance.