In an effort to reduce the price to space, NASA is pushing forward with proposal requests for the second-generation reusable launch vehicle program.

“Technologies developed and tested under the Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Engineering and Risk Reduction Program will enable the start of full scale development of a reusable launch system in 2005–with flight operations anticipated in the 2010 timeframe,” program manager Dan Dumbacher said.

The research announcement asks U.S. industry, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and federal agencies to submit proposals in 10 areas: system engineering and architecture definition, airframe, vehicle subsystems, internal vehicle health monitoring, operations, upper stages, propulsion, flight mechanics, flight demonstrations and NASA- unique requirements such as life support and crew escape systems.