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US Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts

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US Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts Federal Aviation Administration 2008 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts: Vehicles, Technologies, and Spaceports January 2008 HQ-08368.INDD 2008 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts About FAA/AST About the Office of Commercial Space Transportation The Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST) licenses and regulates U.S. commercial space launch and reentry activity, as well as the operation of non-federal launch and reentry sites, as authorized by Executive Order 12465 and Title 49 United States Code, Subtitle IX, Chapter 701 (formerly the Commercial Space Launch Act). FAA/AST’s mission is to ensure public health and safety and the safety of property while protecting the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during commercial launch and reentry operations. In addition, FAA/AST is directed to encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and reentries. Additional information concerning commercial space transportation can be found on FAA/AST’s web site at http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/. Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation i About FAA/AST 2008 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts NOTICE Use of trade names or names of manufacturers in this document does not constitute an official endorsement of such products or manufacturers, either expressed or implied, by the Federal Aviation Administration. ii Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation 2008 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts Contents Table of Contents Introduction . .1 Space Competitions . .1 Expendable Launch Vehicle Industry . .2 Reusable Launch Vehicle Industry . .2 Reentry Vehicles and In-Space Technologies . .2 Enabling Technologies . .3 Spaceports . .3 Regulatory Developments . .3 Significant 2007 Events . .4 Space Competitions . .6 Google Lunar X PRIZE . .6 X PRIZE Cup . .6 America’s Space Prize . .7 Centennial Challenges . .7 Expendable Launch Vehicles . .9 Current Expendable Launch Vehicle Systems . .9 Atlas V – United Launch Alliance . .9 Delta II – United Launch Alliance . .9 Delta IV – United Launch Alliance . .10 Minotaur I – Orbital Sciences Corporation . .11 Pegasus XL – Orbital Sciences Corporation . .11 Taurus – Orbital Sciences Corporation . .11 Zenit-3SL – Sea Launch Company, LLC . .11 ELV Development Efforts . .12 ALV – Alliant Techsystems . .12 Aquarius – Space Systems/Loral . .12 Eagle S-series – E’Prime Aerospace Corporation . .13 FALCON SLV – Lockheed Martin Michoud Operations . .14 Nanosat Launch Vehicle – Garvey Spacecraft Corporation . .14 Sprite SLV – Microcosm, Inc. .15 Minotaur IV and V.– Orbital Sciences Corporation . .15 QuickReach – AirLaunch LLC . .16 Taurus 2 – Orbital Sciences Corporation . .16 Z-1 – Zig Aerospace, LLC . .16 Zenit-3SLB – Sea Launch Company, LLC, and Space International Services . .17 NASA Exploration Launch Vehicles . .17 Ares I . .17 Ares V . .18 Sounding Rockets . .18 Black Brant – Bristol Aerospace Limited . .18 Oriole – DTI Associates . .18 Terrier-Orion – DTI Associates . .19 Hybrid Sounding Rocket Program – Lockheed Martin-Michoud . .19 Hybrid Test Rocket – Lockheed Martin-Michoud and Nammo AS . .19 SpaceLoft XL – UP Aerospace . .20 Reusable Launch Vehicles . .21 Commercial RLV Development Efforts . .21 Tiger & Cardinal – Acuity Technologies . .21 MOD – Armadillo Aerospace . .21 Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation iii Contents 2008 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts BSC Spaceship – Benson Space Company . .22 New Shepard – Blue Origin . .22 Sea Star – Interorbital Systems . .23 Neptune – Interorbital Systems . .23 XA 1.0 – Masten Space Systems . .24 Crusader LL – Micro-Space . .24 Crusader HTS – Micro-Space . .24 Volkon – Paragon Labs . .25 Silver Dart – PlanetSpace . .25 Rocketplane XP – Rocketplane Global . ..
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