FALCON PROGRAM PHASE 2C HORIZONTAL TEST STAND COMPLETE


Kirkland, Washington (February 5, 2008 ) -Air Launch LLC announced today that it passed a major hardware milestone in Phase 2C of the DARPA/Air Force Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program. The company’s upgraded Horizontal Test Stand (known as HTS-2) is now complete, with new hardware and additional sensors and instrumentation systems for the HTS and the HTS test article installed.

Phase 2C focuses on propulsion characterization of the company’s innovative liquid oxygen (LOX)/propane vapor pressurization (VaPak) propulsion system used on the second stage of its QuickReach™ SLV. Phase 2C Milestones include upgrades to hardware, instrumentation, and test stands; and a series of test fires on the HTS to gather data on engine performance and on the Vertical Test Stand (VTS) to more comprehensively characterize second stage performance.

Prior to this milestone, AirLaunch completed and received approval from the government program team for the following major plans:

• Program Plan, describing how Phase 2C objectives will be met;
• Systems Engineering Plan, outlining requirements, design and key performance parameters;
• Facility Improvement Plans for the Horizontal and Vertical test stands, addressing hardware
upgrades instrumentation improvements, and long-lead items required; and
• HTS Test Plan, confirming the test objectives, measurements and data to be collected, analysis to
be conducted, and description of how the test results will be used to answer the test objectives.

The HTS Test Readiness meeting was conducted in late January in Mojave, California, and AirLaunch received approval from the program to proceed with its series of engine tests on the HTS-2. Approximately 25-30 engine tests are planned.

AirLaunch has successfully completed Phases 1, 2A and 2B of the Falcon SLV program. Phase 2C began in June 2007 and continues through summer of 2008. The company’s QuickReach™ booster is specifically designed to meet the Falcon SLV program needs – capable of delivering 1,000 pounds to low earth orbit for $5 million per launch, with less than 24-hour response time. AirLaunch’s approach achieves responsiveness by flying the two-stage, pressurized QuickReach™ system inside an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft.

 

For more information, please contact: 

 

 

AIRLAUNCH LEADERS RECEIVE INDUSTRY HONORS


Kirkland, Washington (August 21, 2007) -AirLaunch LLC’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer,
Gary Hudson, and President, Debra Facktor Lepore, have been honored by the Space Frontier Foundation and Women in Aerospace, respectively, for their achievements in the entrepreneurial space industry.

Ms. Lepore is the 2007 winner of Women in Aerospace’s (WIA) International Achievement Award.  The award honors Ms. Lepore for facilitating international partnerships throughout her career, opening the playing field for entrepreneurial space companies, and for successfully paving the way for women of all nations to excel in the aerospace industry.  

The 22nd Annual Women in Aerospace Awards salute seven outstanding women in the aerospace industry for their contributions to advancing women in the aerospace industry. 
Ms. Lepore and the other award recipients will be honored at a reception and dinner to be held in October at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.  WIA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding women's opportunities for leadership and to increasing their visibility within the aerospace community. 

Mr. Hudson received the Space Frontier Foundation’s 2007 Founders’ Award, a special award given each year by the organization’s founders to honor a space activist for overall and long-term achievement.  Mr. Hudson was recognized for his over 30-year commitment to commercial space activities, with an emphasis on the development of innovative low-cost rocket and propulsion systems and the formation of several entrepreneurial companies.

The Space Frontier Foundation is an organization composed of space activists, scientists and engineers, media and political professionals, entrepreneurs, and citizens from all backgrounds and all nations.  The annual awards banquet, held in July in Washington, DC, also honored several other people, companies and institutions who have made, in the Foundation's view, the greatest contributions that year to opening the frontier.

 

For more information, please contact: 

AIRLAUNCH LLC, DARPA, AND U.S. AIR FORCE KICKOFF PHASE 2C
Kirkland, Washington (July 16, 2007) -Air Launch LLC announced today that it has received approval from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Air Force to continue into Phase 2C of the Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program.  DARPA and the Air Force will jointly fund this phase of the program, valued at $7.6 million, with DARPA providing program management and the Air Force Research Laboratory providing technical support. 
Phase 2C will focus on propulsion characterization of the company’s innovative liquid oxygen (LOX)/propane vapor pressurization (VaPak) propulsion system.

Phase 2C Milestones include upgrades to hardware, instrumentation, and test stands; and a series of test fires on the Horizontal Test Stand (HTS) to gather data on engine performance and on the Vertical Test Stand (VTS) to more comprehensively characterize second stage performance.

“Phase 2C enables us to show the utility of our system to other vehicle applications, in addition to our QuickReach™ small launch vehicle,” said Debra Facktor Lepore, president of AirLaunch LLC.  “We also intend to pursue other applications of our unique AirLaunch architecture.”
 
To date, AirLaunch has conducted 50 test fires of its innovative propulsion system, all using VaPak.  The QuickReach™ second stage engine has been fired 45 times, totaling 359.5 seconds, on the Horizontal Test Stand, in addition to several cold flow tests.  Five test fires, totaling 315.5 seconds, have been performed on the Vertical Test Stand with the QuickReach™ Integrated Stage 2 (IS2), in addition to several propellant loading and conditioning tests.  The IS2 firings incorporated ground propellant loading operations and flight-type avionics, software and systems.  Transition of liquid oxygen to gaseous oxygen, a feature of VaPak, has been observed in test fires on both the HTS and VTS.

Previous accomplishments by AirLaunch include three record setting C-17 drop tests with a simulated full-scale, full-weight, inert QuickReach™ rocket; full-scale stage separation tests; assembly of the payload fairing and adapter cone; payload fairing separation test; ground drop tests; implementation of a Mil-Std-882 safety process and completion of all safety tasks assigned to Phase 2B; and an Incremental Critical Design Review (I-CDR).

AirLaunch completed Phase 2B of the Falcon SLV program in April 2007.  The company’s QuickReach™ booster is specifically designed to meet the Falcon SLV program needs – capable of delivering 1,000 pounds to low earth orbit for $5 million per launch, with less than 24-hour response time.  AirLaunch’s approach achieves responsiveness by flying the two-stage, pressurized QuickReach™ system inside an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft.

Details, photos and videos of AirLaunch’s accomplishments under the Falcon SLV Program Phases 1, 2A and 2B are available at:  AirLaunchLLC.com.

For more information, please contact: 

 

AIRLAUNCH CONDUCTS LONGEST VAPAK BURN TO DATE OF QUICKREACH™ INTEGRATED SECOND STAGE
Kirkland, Washington (April 17, 2007) -AirLaunch LLC and its teammates conducted its longest test fire to date of the QuickReach™ Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) Integrated Stage 2 (IS2) flight-type test article at the Protoflight Mojave Air and Space Port East Test Area on April 6, 2007.

The stage contained over 6 tons of vapor-pressurized (VaPak) propellant and burned for 191 seconds, representing a liquid-liquid burn and a transition of the liquid oxygen (LOX) from liquid to vapor phase.  The HMX LOX-Propane engine performed as expected, testing the design of the injector with integral main propellant valve and demonstrating much lower than expected erosion rates on the ablative chamber.  All test operation was initiated and controlled by the flight-type avionics wafer attached to the stage.

AirLaunch’s test was the longest VaPak burn in history.  Aerojet conducted a 60 second burn using VaPak on a Titan motor in 1963, and Scaled Composites performed a 77 second burn using VaPak (oxidizer only) on the hybrid engine for SpaceShip One in 2004.

For more information, please contact: 

AIRLAUNCH COMPLETES TWO MORE TEST FIRES ON VERTICAL TEST STAND

 Kirkland, Washington (April 3, 2007) - AirLaunch LLC has conducted two more test firings of the flight-weight Integrated Stage Two (IS2) of its QuickReach™ Small Launch Vehicle (SLV).  The two firings were performed in one week, for 40 seconds on March 19 and for 71 seconds on
March 23.  The test firings are part of Milestone 6 of the company’s Phase 2B DARPA/Air Force Falcon SLV activity.

“All firings have used AirLaunch’s innovative vapor pressurization (VaPak) propulsion system employing liquid oxygen (LOX) and propane,” said Gary C. Hudson, AirLaunch’s chief executive officer.  “The IS2 firings signal the beginning of the process to validate the QuickReach™ propulsion system, the ground propellant loading operations, and flight-type avionics, software and systems.”

The test fires utilized an updated, flight-like injector design and will lead to further analysis of the functionality of AirLaunch’s VaPak propulsion system for space launch applications.  During the March 23 test, the engine successfully transitioned from liquid oxygen to gaseous oxygen.  This transition has now been accomplished on the VTS as well as on the Horizontal Test Stand (HTS) used in earlier tests.

VTS testing to date has consisted of four hot fires, totaling approximately 123 seconds, as well as several loading and conditioning tests.  Previously AirLaunch completed 34 VaPak hot fire tests on the HTS, totaling 282.5 seconds of burn time, and several cold flow tests. 

“We are preparing to conduct a full duration burn of approximately 230 seconds of the IS2 this month,” said Debra Facktor Lepore, AirLaunch president.  “A Go/No-Go decision into Phase 2C is expected to be made by the government after the full duration burn and the initial assessment of VaPak data are completed.” 

The Phase 2C plans call for additional propulsion activities and safety mitigation, including the design and development of the onboard propellant conditioning system.  Phase 2C culminates in a full critical design review, after which a Go/No Go decision is expected for Phase 2D.  Phase 2D incorporates first stage engine testing as well as the final safety elements, including approvals by the appropriate safety review and flight readiness review boards prior to a first test flight.

The Falcon SLV program goal is to develop an SLV that can launch 1,000 pounds to orbit for less than $5 million with less than 24 hours notice.  AirLaunch’s design achieves responsiveness by carrying its QuickReach™ booster to altitude inside the cargo bay of an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft.  QuickReach™ is designed to meet the needs of Operationally Responsive Space (ORS).

VTS Fire

QuickReach™ Integrated Stage 2 Hot Fire Test on Vertical Test Stand

For more information, please contact: 

AIRLAUNCH COMPLETES INCREMENTAL CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW AND BEGINS VERTICAL TEST STAND ACTIVITIES

Kirkland, Washington (March 14 , 2007) –AirLaunch LLC continues to make progress toward completing the milestones of Phase 2B of the DARPA/Air Force Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program.  In November 2006, AirLaunch successfully completed the Incremental Critical Design Review (I-CDR) of the QuickReach™ SLV.  In addition to the DARPA and Air Force program management team, government personnel from a variety of agencies participated in the review.

The remaining Phase 2B activities include a series of engine test fires of the QuickReach™ Integrated Stage 2 (IS2) Vapor Pressurization (VaPak) propulsion system on the Vertical Test Stand (VTS).  To prepare for these tests, AirLaunch has conducted cold flow tests of the liquid oxygen in the VTS and a 10-second hot fire test to checkout the VTS facility.  AirLaunch has also improved the tank insulation and added a preconditioning system for the propane fuel; these enhancements will accelerate loading operations.

All Mil-Std-882 safety tasks assigned to Phase 2B are completed to the satisfaction of the program system safety review board, which included representatives from the C-17 Airworthiness Review Board at Wright Patterson AFB and the Safety Review Board at Edwards AFB.  Both review boards approved the successful drop tests of inert test articles from the C-17 in Phase 2B.

The remaining engine firings are expected to be completed by the end of April 2007, after which a Go/No-Go decision into Phase 2C will be made by the program. Phase 2C focuses on additional propulsion activities and safety mitigation including the design and development of the onboard propellant conditioning system.  This system would be tested on the ground in a C-17 mock-up.  Phase 2C culminates in a full critical design review, after which a Go/No Go decision is expected for Phase 2D.  Phase 2D incorporates first stage engine testing as well as the final safety elements, including approvals by the appropriate safety review and flight readiness review boards prior to a first test flight.

The Falcon SLV program is governed by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by DARPA and the Air Force in May 2003 with DARPA managing the program and the Air Force funding the program from its Operational Responsive Space (ORS) budget line.   AirLaunch expects that, given successful accomplishment of future milestones, the Falcon SLV program will continue to be funded as agreed in the MOA.

QuickReach™ provides real value for changing the way the nation operates in the launch business.  Integrating Air Force air (C-17) and space capabilities, with AirLaunch’s responsive, low-cost and operable QuickReach™ rocket, ultimately gives the warfighter faster access to space, enabling a variety of ORS missions.


For more information, please contact: 


AIRLAUNCH LLC COMPLETES ADDITIONAL TESTS AS IT APPROACHES DESIGN REVIEW

Kirkland, Washington (November 3 , 2006) – AirLaunch LLC has completed more testing in development of its QuickReachTM rocket, part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Air Force Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program, bringing it closer to critical design review (CDR) and ultimately to a first test launch.

“We continue to make progress and demonstrate how a small company using rapid prototyping can work to help the U.S. government fulfill its developmental needs for operationally responsive space,” said Debra Facktor Lepore, president of AirLaunch LLC.

Earlier last month at NASA ’s Wallops Flight Facility, AirLaunch successfully conducted a payload fairing separation test, part of Milestone 5 of 6 in Phase 2B of the program. All pyrotechnic sequences and mechanical actions operated properly.

“Our team is performing admirably. We are on track in the program, meeting both technical and safety objectives,” said Livingston Holder, AirLaunch LLC’s chief program executive and co-program manager.

AirLaunch has completed 32 horizontal engine test firings and increased the pace of propulsion testing, with 28 of the tests conducted in the past eight months including two per day for three days in a row. All of these tests have used the Vapor Pressurization (VaPak) system, providing further data to validate its use with liquid oxygen and propane.

The most recent tests included the following:

• Oct. 4 – Two hot fire tests to measure and improve combustion efficiency
• Oct. 6 – Test firing to measure and improve combustion efficiency
• Oct. 9 – Igniter successfully tested at altitude equivalent to 68,000 ft
• Oct. 10 – Two five second high altitude ignition hot fire tests, at 53,000 ft and 54,000 ft
• Oct. 13 – Igniter tested at an altitude equivalent to 73,000 ft
• Oct. 16 – Two high altitude ignition test firings to qualify an igniter from a second vendor.

The next series of test firings begin this month and will culminate in a full mission burn (approximately 230 secs) of the engine integrated with the second stage in a flight configuration on a vertical test stand. This will be the first time the engine will be tested vertically. All of these tests and milestones are leading to the Incremental Critical Design Review (I-CDR) scheduled for mid-November.

AirLaunch’s prior successes include three drop tests of a QuickReach™ test article simulating the operational dimensions and mass of the QuickReach™ rocket and setting a new record each time for the largest and heaviest object dropped from a C-17 cargo aircraft. The last drop test employed a full-scale simulated rocket that was nearly 66 ft long, weighed 72,000 lbs and dropped from an altitude of 32,000 ft.

AirLaunch LLC is a small business headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. The company is developing a cost effective, accessible system that allows for quick deployment of communications satellites and remote sensing payloads for both military and civil needs. AirLaunch has the ability to launch 1,000 lbs to Low Earth Orbit, within 24 hours with a cost of less than $5 million.

For more information, please contact: 

DEBRA FACKTOR LEPORE HONORED BY PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL AS ONE OF REGION’S “40 UNDER 40”


Kirkland, Washington (September 25, 2006) – Debra Facktor Lepore, president of AirLaunch LLC, has been selected as a 2006 40 Under 40 honoree by the Puget Sound Business Journal, the region’s premier award program that spotlights the next generation of business leaders.

The panel of judges honors those under the age of 40 who have entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrate socially responsible leadership, have made a difference through their business and community involvement and exhibit a passion for life.  40 Under 40 is in its eighth year and has recognized 280 local business leaders.

The 39-year-old president of Kirkland’s AirLaunch LLC leads a company that is testing methods for launching small satellites into orbit within 24 hours notice and at a quarter of conventional space launch costs.  She says half of her life has been “focused on getting to space in a more efficient way.” 

Before joining AirLaunch, Facktor Lepore was vice president of Business Development and Strategic Planning for Kistler Aerospace Corporation. As a young aerospace consultant working at the end of the Cold War, she helped broker a deal to bring Russia on board with the international space station project.  In high school, she was class valedictorian and first chair French horn player.

The Michigan native graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and then earned her master’s degree in aerospace engineering, both from the University of Michigan.  When the Journal asked Facktor Lepore what her life would be called if it were a movie, she responded, “Rocket Girl.”

For more information, please contact: 

AIRLAUNCH LLC TO PARTNER WITH NASA ON SMALL SATELLITE DEVELOPMENT

Kirkland, Washington (July 26, 2006) – AirLaunch LLC announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., to explore collaborations in space launch systems and payloads launched from aircraft.

NASA Ames Research Center is seeking partnerships to promote the development of a robust commercial space industry to benefit and support NASA’s exploration mission goals, in particular to help provide sustainable exploration.  Development of small spacecraft is a primary focus of NASA Ames and it is developing a “skunk works” to build small satellites that cost less than $250 million.
 
“NASA Ames will become a West Coast ‘space portal' for affordable small satellites and other scientific and commercial payloads,” said S. Pete Worden, director of NASA Ames Research Center.   “A small launch vehicle may be a very attractive approach for providing affordable, responsive launch capabilities for bio-tech, lunar and other small spacecraft payloads of interest to NASA and commercial users.”

Under terms of the agreement, AirLaunch LLC and NASA Ames will explore areas of collaboration to include mission, vehicle, and payload concept analyses; systems engineering; and payload integration, as well as use of NASA Ames facilities, such wind tunnels, arc-jet facility, flight simulators, hangars, and runways. 

“We’re excited to partner with NASA Ames and leverage its long history of working with innovative companies and technologies to develop a robust commercial small payload market,” said Debra Facktor Lepore, president of AirLaunch LLC.  “Within a few years, government and commercial customers will be able to approach NASA Ames and AirLaunch to develop and launch small payloads using the latest technologies and facilities available at NASA Ames.”

AirLaunch LLC is developing the QuickReach™ Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) concept under a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) / U.S. Air Force Falcon SLV program that also includes NASA participation.  QuickReach™ is designed to meet the goals of affordable and responsive space lift, with the ability to deliver 1,000 pounds to Low Earth Orbit for less than $5 million per flight and launch within 24 hours notice.  AirLaunch’s rocket achieves responsiveness by launching from an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft.  AirLaunch LLC is a small business headquartered in Kirkland, Wash.

 


Photo provided courtesy of Bill Ingalls at NASA

For more information, please contact: 

DARPA, AIR FORCE AND AIRLAUNCH LLC DROP TEST SETS NEW C-17 RECORD

Kirkland, Washington (June 15, 2006) - AirLaunch LLC, DARPA and the Air Force made history yesterday as a simulated AirLaunch QuickReachTM rocket weighing 65,000 lbs was dropped out of a C-17A cargo aircraft, making it the heaviest single load to ever be dropped out of the plane.

“This was an important step for the program,” said Dr. Steven Walker of DARPA, “It expanded the envelope of C-17 air drop capabilities, and points the way toward a safe extraction technique for an affordable and responsive spacelift capability.” 

The drop test was performed as part of a program that is exploring a new way of launching small satellites into space called the Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program, administered by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Air Force.

“This test is another accomplishment that will lead us to the next phase of the program and eventually to launch,” said Debra Facktor Lepore, president of AirLaunch LLC. “We are excited to be working with DARPA and the Air Force to develop new technologies that will enable operationally responsive access to space.”

The drop test and related activities were conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., by the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) 412th Test Wing and the 418th Flight Test Squadron in conjunction with the Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center Detachment 12 of Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and the C-17 Systems Group of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.  The flight consisted of a 65,000 pound Drop Test Article (DTA), which simulates the QuickReach™ launch vehicle dropped from an unmodified C-17A aircraft at an altitude of 29,500 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL) and a true airspeed of 330 knots.  The aircraft used is on loan from Air Mobility Command to AFFTC.

“This drop test is the second in a series designed to assure that we can safely extract the QuickReachTM rocket from a C-17,” said Livingston Holder, AirLaunch’s chief program executive. “With each test, we get closer to the actual mission launch altitude and launch vehicle weight, and ultimately developing a launch vehicle that meets the Falcon SLV requirements.”

The Falcon SLV program goal is to develop a vehicle that can launch a 1,000 pound satellite to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for less than $5 million, within 24 hours of notice.  Currently it costs about $20 million to launch a satellite of this size into space and the lead time can be months to years.  Having a quick reaction launch system that that can launch specialized small satellites will provide a new capability for both military and civil applications as well as stimulate commercial opportunities.

“The QuickReachTM rocket will enable the government to respond quickly when a military need arises or in response to a natural disaster by launching small remote sensing satellites on short notice,” said Holder.

AirLaunch’s QuickReachTM rocket will carry small satellites into LEO. These satellites can be equipped with communication, camera and sensor payloads that allow special purpose support for military activities, hurricanes, and forest fires, as well as enable time-urgent communications in remote areas.

AirLaunch opted to launch its vehicle from a cargo aircraft at altitude to provide increased performance to take advantage of the efficiency of the innovative liquid oxygen and propane vapor pressurization (VAPAK) propulsion system that QuickReachTM employs.  AirLaunch’s approach also minimizes reliance on fixed launch ranges.  NASA Wallops is contributing key range technology to this area of the program.

“Launching from the C-17 aircraft provides operational flexibility that becomes extremely important in matters of national security,” said Lepore. “The data from this drop test will provide us more information to develop this concept into a viable system for the United States.”

The team is in the second phase of the Falcon SLV contract or Phase 2B.  As part of this phase, AirLaunch recently accomplished Milestone 3, which consisted of completed assembly of the payload fairing and additional engine test firings of its QuickReachTM stage two engine.  AirLaunch previously conducted a stage separation test and two engine test fires as part of Phase 2B Milestones 1 and 2.

In 2005, Team AirLaunch completed Phase 2A on time and within budget with significant hardware development and testing.  This included four engine test firings, a stage separation test, a ground drop test, and a C-17 drop test.  At 65.8 feet, AirLaunch’s DTA was the longest single object ever dropped from a C-17 aircraft, conducted on September 29, 2005.  The flight test crew was nominated by Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) for the 2005 Mackay Award, for the most Meritorious Air Force flight of the year.    Phase 2A ground tests and the first air drop generated early data on propulsion, airframe, avionics and operations.

 


AirLaunch drop test sets record for heaviest
single object dropped from a C-17, June 14, 2006



Drogue parachute deployed and initial extraction of AirLaunch's 65,000 pound Drop Test Article from unmodified C-17A aircraft.


AirLaunch's 65,000 pound Drop Test Article, simulating the QuickReach™ rocket, shown leaving the C-17A aircraft


Successful extraction of AirLaunch's 65,000 pound Drop Test Article from the C-17A aircraft


QuickReachTM payload fairing
assembled as part of Milestone 3

For more information, please contact: 


AIRLAUNCH LLC COMPLETES ANOTHER FALCON MILESTONE

Kirkland , Washington (March 15, 2006) - AirLaunch LLC announced today that it has successfully completed Milestone 2 of its Phase 2B DARPA/Air Force Falcon program contract, another step in the development of the company’s QuickReach™ small launch vehicle.

AirLaunch conducted two second stage engine test fires within 24 hours at a test facility in Mojave, California .  The two tests, performed on February 28 and March 1, 2006, signaled the beginning of the Phase 2B QuickReach™ Stage 2 engine hot fire test program, that will lead to integrated second stage testing later this year.  In Phase 2A, AirLaunch conducted four second stage engine test fires as proof of concept for its vapor pressurization (VAPAK) propulsion system using liquid oxygen (LOX) and propane. 

“We are extremely pleased with the results of the two engine test fires in Milestone 2. Vapor pressurization has been studied for many years, and these tests, along with our Phase 2A tests, show that VAPAK works with a LOX/propane system,” said Debra Facktor Lepore , President of AirLaunch.

The two engine test fires validated an updated, flight-like injector design and resulted in further confirmation of the feasibility of AirLaunch’s VAPAK propulsion system.  Each test lasted 13 seconds, with 2 seconds of ignition and 11 seconds of full burn, using AirLaunch’s larger engine test stand that was built as part of the Phase 2B Milestone 2 activities.

Valued at $17.8 million for a one-year effort, AirLaunch’s Falcon Phase 2B contract enables the company and its team of subcontractors to continue developing the QuickReach™ small satellite booster.  AirLaunch completed Milestone 1 of Phase 2B on January 18, 2006, with a successful second stage separation test.  In 2005, Team AirLaunch completed Phase 2A on time and on budget with significant hardware and testing, including four engine test firings, a stage separation test, ground drop test, and a C-17 drop test in September. 

The Falcon program goal is to develop a vehicle that can launch 1,000 pounds to orbit for less than $5 million with only 24 hours notice.  AirLaunch’s design achieves responsiveness by carrying its QuickReach™ booster to altitude inside the cargo bay of an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft.  Phase 2B will culminate with a Critical Design Review this fall.  Phase 2C anticipates a demonstration launch in 2008.

AirLaunch second stage engine test fires validated the flight-like injector system and provided further confirmation of its QuickReach™ vehicle Vapor Pressurization (VAPAK) propulsion system

 

For more information, please contact: 


AIRLAUNCH LLC COMPLETES FALCON PROGRAM MILESTONE

Kirkland , Washington (January 13, 2006) - Air Launch LLC completed a full scale stage separation test of its QuickReach™ small launch vehicle – the first major milestone of Phase 2B of the DARPA/Air Force Falcon program. This test convincingly demonstrated that the innovative gas pneumatic stage separation technique, pioneered by AirLaunch’s founder Gary C. Hudson, is practical and safe. Prior to this full scale test, AirLaunch performed detailed modeling and conducted a number of component and subscale tests.

In 2005, Team AirLaunch completed Phase 2A on time and on budget with significant hardware and testing, including four engine test firings, a stage separation test, ground drop test, and a C-17 drop test in September 2005.

“Our goals are to complete Phase 2B with a successful Critical Design Review this fall, receive approval to continue into Phase 2C for a demonstration launch, and work with DARPA and the Air Force toward a first flight in 2008,” said Debra Facktor Lepore , President of AirLaunch.

Valued at $17.8 million for a one-year effort, the Falcon Phase 2B contract activity enables AirLaunch and its team of subcontractors to continue developing the QuickReach™ small satellite booster. The Falcon program goal is to develop a vehicle that can launch 1,000 pounds to orbit for less than $5 million with only 24 hours notice. AirLaunch’s design achieves responsiveness by carrying its QuickReach™ booster to altitude inside the cargo bay of an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft.

On January 13, 2006, AirLaunch LLC successfully demonstrated a full scale stage separation test of its QuickReach™ small launch vehicle

For more information, please contact: 


AIRLAUNCH LLC SELECTED FOR CONTRACT CONTINUANCE BY DARPA

Kirkland, Washington (November 2, 2005) - Air Launch LLC announced today that it has been selected for contract continuance by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under Phase 2B of the Falcon program.  Valued at $17.8 million for a one-year effort, the Phase 2B contract activity enables AirLaunch and its team of contractors to continue development of the QuickReach™ small satellite booster.

The Falcon program goal is to develop a booster that can launch a small satellite for less than $5 million with only 24 hours notice.  AirLaunch’s design achieves responsiveness by carrying its QuickReach™ booster to altitude inside the cargo bay of an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft. 

“We look forward to working with the DARPA / Air Force team to move the QuickReach booster development forward and bring the nation’s first air-launched liquid rocket booster to fruition,” said Gary Hudson, founder and Chairman of AirLaunch.  “In Phase 2A, AirLaunch rapidly designed a prototype rocket, integrated a mock-up with an unmodified C-17 aircraft, and successfully executed a drop test of the hardware.  Phase 2B will focus on additional risk reduction and maturing the launch vehicle design and concept of operations.”

AirLaunch and its team of contractors recently completed Phase 2A of the program, culminating with the company demonstrating the safe release of a dummy booster from an Air Force C-17A cargo plane.  During Phase 2B, AirLaunch will conduct further risk reduction activities (including additional C-17 drop tests and an integrated stage two firing), provide an initial Interface Control Document (ICD) for a payload, and complete a Critical Design Review (CDR).  The contract includes an option for Phase 2C, to conduct a flight demonstration of the QuickReach™ booster and launch a small payload into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

In fall 2003, DARPA and the U.S. Air Force challenged nine U.S. competitors to develop a small launch vehicle that can carry small satellites to orbit for no more than $5 million per launch based on a rate of 20 flights per year.  In mid-2004, AirLaunch and three other contractors were selected for Phase 2A.

“The AirLaunch concept will enable tremendous flexibility for deploying satellites anywhere and anytime,” said Debra Facktor Lepore, President of AirLaunch.  “I’m especially excited that we will manage the program from our new headquarters in Kirkland , Washington .”


The AirLaunch team is comprised of Space Vector of Burbank, CA (launch operations, integration support, avionics wafer, storage and launch carrier); Universal Space Lines LLC of Newport Beach, CA (Vehicle Management System hardware and software including flight controls); Orion Propulsion Inc. of Huntsville, AL (propulsion test equipment and test support); Delta Velocity Corporation of Purcellville, VA (payload fairing, payload planner and user’s guide); and HMX of Reno, NV (propulsion including tanks and engines).  AirLaunch is responsible for program management and integration of the complete system in cooperation with Space Vector.  Other subcontractors include Wilson Composite Technologies of Folsom, CA (composite tank expertise); Spincraft of Billerica, MA (aluminum tanks); and AAE Aerospace of Costa Mesa, CA (thrust chamber assemblies).           
      

For more information, please contact: 

 

AIRLAUNCH LLC APPOINTS DEBRA FACKTOR LEPORE AS PRESIDENT

Reno, Nevada (October 26, 2005) – AirLaunch LLC announced today that it has appointed Ms. Debra Facktor Lepore as President of the company. The company is preparing to enter the next phase of its QuickReach™ small satellite booster program. Lepore recently left her position as Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning for Kistler Aerospace Corporation.

Gary Hudson, founder and Chairman of AirLaunch LLC, said, “I am delighted to have Debra on board as President. She is a dynamo in the industry and well-known and respected by everyone. AirLaunch will benefit from her many unique experiences operating in a commercial, entrepreneurial environment.”

As President of AirLaunch LLC, Lepore is responsible for the external activities of the company, including development and execution of the company’s business plan, marketing plan, and government relations.

In accepting her new position, Ms. Lepore stated, “It is an honor and a privilege to work with Gary Hudson and fitting that I continue my career with a small entrepreneurial launch company. I’m proud of the AirLaunch team and what they have accomplished with DARPA in such a short time.”

Prior to joining Kistler Aerospace in 1997, Debra Facktor Lepore served as Chief of Moscow Operations for ANSER’s Center for International Aerospace Cooperation in Moscow, Russia and was project lead and senior engineer at ANSER in Arlington, VA, where she conducted technical, business, financial and policy analyses for government and commercial clients around the world.

Among other distinctions, Ms. Debra Facktor Lepore is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA); an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA); an alumna of the International Space University (ISU); and a member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF). She is an active leader in the community and in major professional organizations, including Secretary of the IAA’s Commission on Space Policy, Economics and Law and elected Member-at-Large (2005) and Vice-Chair (2006) of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Space Council Executive Steering Committee. In April 2005, Ms. Lepore was appointed by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta to serve a two-year term on the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). Ms. Debra Facktor Lepore earned a Bachelor of Science degree (magna cum laude) in aerospace engineering and a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering, both from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

AirLaunch LLC and its team of contractors have been developing the QuickReach™ booster for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Air Force as part of the Falcon program to create a breakthrough low-cost small satellite launcher. The Falcon goal is to develop a booster that can launch a small satellite for less than $5 million with only 24 hours notice. The AirLaunch LLC design achieves responsiveness by carrying the booster to altitude inside the cargo bay of an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft. The company demonstrated the safe release of a dummy booster from an Air Force C-17A cargo plane on September 29, 2005. AirLaunch LLC will be headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, as of November 1, 2005.

 

For more information, please contact: 

AIR FORCE C-17 SUCCESSFULLY DROPS PROTOTYPE OF LOW-COST ROCKET

Edwards Air Force Base, CA (Oct. 5, 2005) – A Defense Dept. program to create a breakthrough low-cost small satellite launcher has demonstrated the safe release of a dummy booster from an Air Force C-17A cargo plane.

AirLaunch LLC built a mock QuickReach booster for this drop as part of the Falcon program created by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the USAF. The Falcon goal is to develop a booster that can launch a small satellite for less than $5 million with only 24 hours notice.

The AirLaunch LLC design achieves responsiveness by carrying the booster to altitude inside the cargo bay of an unmodified C-17A or other large cargo aircraft. This avoids delays due to local weather – the carrier aircraft can fly to clear skies for the release – and it eliminates the need to coordinate with the schedules of the other users of the Nation’s Western and Eastern launch ranges.

On Sept. 29, the C-17A flew to an altitude of 6,000 feet with the QuickReach booster inside the cargo bay resting on a pallet of upturned rubber wheels. As the aircraft turned nose up by six degrees, gravity pulled the test article across the upturned tires and out the aft cargo door. The test demonstrated the QuickReach release technology, including proof that the booster’s nose does not hit the C-17A roof as it leaves the aircraft. (Because the main body of the booster tilts down as it exits, this causes the portion of the booster still inside the C-17A to tilt up, but the flight test showed the nose does not tip up far enough to hit the cargo bay ceiling.)

The AirLaunch approach improves upon previous air-release methods such as the 1974 Minuteman missile air launch demo, which rested the booster on a pallet that then deployed parachutes to drag the pallet out of the cargo bay. The new AirLaunch method relies on gravity, not parachutes that can fail, and only the booster leaves the carrier aircraft – no pallets fall into the ocean or on to land.

The test was conducted at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) by the C-17A Combined Flight Test Team, with assistance from DARPA and an AirLaunch LLC team led by drop test director Marti Sarigul-Klijn. It utilized a 65.8 foot long test article filled with water to bring its weight to 50,000 lbs., about two-thirds the weight of an actual booster. The C-17A released the test article at 145 knots air speed from 6,100 feet with future tests planned at the operational release altitude of 33,000 feet.

AirLaunch LLC has now completed an $11.3 million contract under the Falcon program Phase IIA. If selected to move forward, the project would lead to a test flight to orbit in early 2008. The operational QuickReach booster is designed to put a 1,000-lb satellite into low Earth orbit.

Major portions of the QuickReach air drop system were fabricated and assembled by Space Vector Corp. of Chatsworth, CA. Space Vector has experience in air launch projects including a 1997 test program called AltAir. This successfully dropped a live 22,000-lb missile from at C-130 at 15,000. The AltAir test placed the booster on an expendable cradle that was extracted along with the booster from the C-130 by large parachutes.

Avionics for QuickReach are provided by Universal Space Lines LLC of Newport Beach, CA, and specialized test equipment for the drop was supplied by Scaled Composites LLC of Mojave, CA.  Orion Propulsion Inc. of Huntsville AL provided test support for the propulsion development program of the QuickReach.

Click images below for higher resolution versions.



 

For more information, please contact: 

AIRLAUNCH SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES INITIAL ENGINE TESTS

Mojave, CA (July 12, 2005) - AirLaunch LLC has completed flow calibration, ignition and initial short duration tests of a liquid oxygen and propane powered upper stage rocket engine that has application for future small spacecraft launchers such as the AirLaunch QuickReach booster. The tests were conducted from April to June of this year at the Civilian Flight Test Center, Mojave Spaceport.

The engine design and test article was provided by HMX Inc. of Reno, NV and the mobile test stand was developed for HMX by Orion Propulsion Inc. (Huntsville, AL). Orion also provided test engineers to operate the stand.

The pictured engine uses an ablative chamber and nozzle, and is designed to produce 24,000 lbs force when operating in a vacuum with an extension nozzle. The extension is not installed for sea level tests.


Testing shows that the engine is stable, can be ignited quickly after shutdown and is ready to move into the next phase of development.

Work on this engine was conducted in support of a DARPA/USAF program known as Falcon. For information about Falcon, see the DARPA website.

 

For more information, please contact: 

DEFENSE DEPT. FUNDS NEW LOW-COST LAUNCH VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT

Chatsworth, CA (September 18, 2004) – A novel air-launched orbital rocket – the QuickReach – has been selected by the Defense Dept. for a $11 million development award.

AirLaunch LLC and its consortium of contractors will develop QuickReach for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Air Force in Phase II of the Falcon program. Three other companies with ground-launched rockets also will receive awards. DARPA plans to fund one or more companies all the way to flight tests no later than 2007.

The FALCON program’s goal is to create a responsive launch vehicle that can put at least 1,000 lbs. into low Earth orbit for less than $5 million per launch. AirLaunch LLC, which was formed in 2003 specifically to respond to the FALCON challenge, plans to beat both goals by utilizing a consortium of experienced contractors, including:

Space Vector Inc. a launch vehicle prime contractor in Chatsworth, CA that has successfully launched more than 37 guided vehicles and has delivered subsystems and structures in support of more than 300 launches, will be the integrating contractor in facilities co-located with AirLaunch LLC.

Universal Space Lines LLC of Newport Beach, CA, whose personnel formed the core of the team that executed the historic Delta Clipper-X/XA flights, will provide software and avionics solutions.

HMX Inc. of Reno, NV, will provide propulsion technologies. HMX specializes in propulsion and launch systems.

Orion Propulsion Inc. of Huntsville, AL will provide propulsion test facilities and equipment, and engine testing support.

Delta Velocity Corporation of Purcellville, VA, founded by the former Program Manager of the Orbital Sciences Taurus launch vehicle, will provide tools for responsive payload processing and mission integration.

A number of other experienced subcontractors will also participate as the project moves to flight test.

The QuickReach is a two-stage liquid fuel rocket that is carried to its launch point in the cargo bay of an aircraft such as an Air Force C-17 or a privately chartered Antonov 124. This simplifies operations compared to ground launch from a fixed range in several ways: no coordination is required with other users of the range, weather constraints are avoided by flying to open sky, and there are fewer delays waiting for specific launch windows (to match desired orbits) because the vehicle can be flown to an alternate launch point that is better aligned with the desired orbit. In addition, ground launches must be postponed whenever ships enter the ocean zones near the coastal launch sites or where rocket stages are expected to drop; the QuickReach carrier aircraft can avoid such delays by flying to a different release point.

Air launching also simplifies the design of the vehicle, which simultaneously reduces costs and improves reliability. The modest performance gain of launching at 25,000 to 35,000 feet, and with some forward speed, makes it easier for a two-stage rocket to put payloads into orbit. In addition, the first stage engine and nozzle can be designed solely for operation at a significant altitude – this avoids the design challenges of also needing to operate efficiently at sea level air pressure during lift-off.

Because QuickReach does not use turbopumps or mechanical gas pressurization systems, it can be scaled up with few changes in its basic components. This means that later versions of QuickReach can deliver 10,000-lb. payloads simply through modest increases in the diameter of the vehicle and its engines.

For more information, please contact: