DARPA requests spaceplane proposalsThe competition heats up: As part of its XS-1 spaceplane development program DARPA this week put out a request for proposals for companies to build an experimental space plane capable of launching 10 times in 10 days for a cost of no more than $5 million.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The competition heats up: As part of its XS-1 spaceplane development program DARPA this week put out a request for proposals for companies to build an experimental space plane capable of launching 10 times in 10 days for a cost of no more than $5 million.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Why would one need to fly into space ten times in ten days? And do it for $5 million a shot? I don’t think so.
Typo I’m sure, but “…capable of achieving ten times in ten days…” Capable of achieving what? Successful suborbital trajectory? Refueling? Round trips between North America and, say, Australia? On-way trips? Transporting a specific payload or mass? Please clarify, Bob. Thanks.
Joey: Yes, twas a typo. I should have written “capable of launching 10 times in 10 days.”
My real question is.
Are they just doing this to try to stretch the technological boundaries or do they have a plan for a system like this.
If they are just pushing limits then its not the right reason. Need dictates design and desire. Its just a waste of time effort and money.
If they have a plan for this type of system exactly what could it be that a disposable system couldn’t do just as good if not better and cheaper.
You do not need a reusable space plane to put small sats into orbit.
As a weapons platform I just cannot see the practical need. Its like asking for a reusable cruse missile.
And doesn’t the US Airforce already have one of these spaceplanes? And its in operation.
Or is this just a way to throw government research money at a crony corporation?
Couldn’t Space X just scale down Falcon 9?
Only lifting about 5,000lbs into orbit max and only use the first stage?
Maybe only using one or two Merlin engine’s.
If its small enough it could be launched from an aircraft carrier and landed back on the same ship.
If they could get it down to about 60 feet long it would fit in the same space as a fighter jet.
If it could be converted to Jet fuel and LOX then the military wouldn’t even need new fuels.
We don’t need wings to fly anymore. Plus they just get in the way on a rocket.