Preparation of Papers for AIAA Technical Conferences
Motivation for Air-Launch: Past, Present, and Future John W. Kelly,* Charles E. Rogers,† Gregory T. Brierly,‡ J. Campbell Martin,§ and Marshall G. Murphy** NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, 93523 “Air-launch” is defined as two or more air-vehicles joined and working together, that eventually separate in flight, and that have a combined performance greater than the sum of the individual parts. The use of the air-launch concept has taken many forms across civil, commercial, and military contexts throughout the history of aviation. Air-launch techniques have been applied for entertainment, movement of materiel and personnel, efficient execution of aeronautical research, increasing aircraft range, and enabling flexible and efficient launch of space vehicles. For each air-launch application identified in this paper, the motivation for that application is discussed. Nomenclature AAF = Army Air Forces AFB = Air Force base AFRC = Armstrong Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) ALT = approach and landing test ASAT = antisatellite CRV = Crew Return Vehicle D.C. = District of Columbia ESA = European Space Agency FICON = Fighter Conveyor project FRC = Flight Research Center HiMAT = Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology ICBM = inter-continental ballistic missile ISS = International Space Station IXV = Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle KST = Kelly Space & Technology, Inc. (San Bernadino, California) NACA = National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration NBC = National Broadcasting Company NOTS = Naval Ordnance Test Station RAF = Royal Air Force SBIR = Small Business Innovative Research SNC = Sierra Nevada Corporation (Sparks, Nevada) TGALS = Towed-Glider Air-Launch System U.S. = United States USS = United States Ship USAF = United States Air Force VMS = Virgin Mothership VSS = Virgin Spaceship WS-199 = Weapon Systems 199 WWI = World War I * Project Manager, Exploration & Space Technology Directorate, Senior Member.
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