Sierra Space wins Air Force contract to develop orbital cargo delivery system
The Air Force has now awarded Sierra Space a contract to develop its proposed “Space Ghost” satellite spacecraft, designed to be launched into a stand-by orbit carrying needed cargo, where it can upon command deliver that cargo within 90 minutes anywhere on Earth.
Sierra Space won a contract of undisclosed value as part of the AFRL’s Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) program. The Air Force is exploring the potential of space vehicles to rapidly transport critical supplies from orbital warehouses back to Earth. This could include reusable reentry vehicles capable of delivering payloads from prepositioned stocks in orbit.
Sierra Space, based in Louisville, Colorado, said its defense technology team designed the Ghost system to be capable of remaining in orbit for up to five years, storing and delivering essential supplies on-demand. Once fully developed, the spacecraft could be used for missions such as delivering rescue kits for downed pilots, medical supplies for disaster relief or logistical support for military operations.
The company began doing drop tests of a Space Ghost prototype heat shield in March, and apparently the data satisfied the Air Force enough to issue this development contract. Whether such a system however makes sense remains unknown. To be able to deliver cargo anywhere on Earth will require putting up a large constellation of Space Ghost satellites, in many different orbits. Moreover, it is unclear how much cargo each satellite would carry.
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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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 Air Force has now awarded Sierra Space a contract to develop its proposed “Space Ghost” satellite spacecraft, designed to be launched into a stand-by orbit carrying needed cargo, where it can upon command deliver that cargo within 90 minutes anywhere on Earth.
Sierra Space won a contract of undisclosed value as part of the AFRL’s Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) program. The Air Force is exploring the potential of space vehicles to rapidly transport critical supplies from orbital warehouses back to Earth. This could include reusable reentry vehicles capable of delivering payloads from prepositioned stocks in orbit.
Sierra Space, based in Louisville, Colorado, said its defense technology team designed the Ghost system to be capable of remaining in orbit for up to five years, storing and delivering essential supplies on-demand. Once fully developed, the spacecraft could be used for missions such as delivering rescue kits for downed pilots, medical supplies for disaster relief or logistical support for military operations.
The company began doing drop tests of a Space Ghost prototype heat shield in March, and apparently the data satisfied the Air Force enough to issue this development contract. Whether such a system however makes sense remains unknown. To be able to deliver cargo anywhere on Earth will require putting up a large constellation of Space Ghost satellites, in many different orbits. Moreover, it is unclear how much cargo each satellite would carry.
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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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
I think it’s a typo
Space Ghost prototype heat shielf*
AO1: Yes, a typo. Fixed. And thanks.
Personally I think a 90 minute window is a little tight. The tighter or shorter the window the more pods we would need in space.
I can not think of a situation that would need a military space supply drop inside 90 minutes.
Think of all the unfriendly nations who would actively be able to stop a western nation from flying over and dropping supplies into it. In real life there are not that many. And for those that would try to stop us exactly how many would need an allied military mission sent into them?
But think about the probable hot spots that would need a multi-million dollar drop pod inside an hour and a half. There are not that many in real life.
How many places on the Earth are 3 hours away from a standard air drop and exactly why would they need a supply drop into that area?
If they pushed it our to 180 minutes they are getting close to a 4 hour air drop window which would be cheaper.
Pre positioned supplies 4 hours away from hot spots would be cheaper that a 180 million dollar single space drop.
Now if you plan on space dropping solders into an enemy area I can then see a second supply drop being needed. But both can be launched at the same time instead of leaving supplies in space.
Any supplies needed for natural disasters are needed in the multi ton loads not 2 tons but 22 tons.
As for supplies for a downed pilot a shorter range non orbital rocket could be launched from our ships or friendly land positions far cheaper.
How many civilian pilots are we loosing because they crashed and didn’t have supplies? Or a raft. Or food? If we know where they are to send them a supply missile why not just fly out and pick them up?
They mentioned re usable lander. Why? We left millions of tons of stuff behind in every war because it cost to much to recover it. Make them cheap and disposable.
Weren’t there plans or at least a study to do this with Starship? It would launch from the CONUS and ‘land’ anywhere on Earth with whatever was needed in something like 90 minutes. That seems more efficient and useful than trying to stock a warehouse that is in orbit.
Even land based supply chains have moved away from warehouses. ‘Just in time’- get rid of stocking & warehouse costs at the expense of depth of inventory.
The ‘Space Ghost’ concept sounds like something from the early 1960’s. And, probably should stay there.
Could you imagine getting a bill for them sending you a space rescue package?
MRE’s for a week 500.00
Tents for 4 500.00
Blankets for 4 500.00
Water for 4 500.00
Delivery 150,000,000.00
We all know where the money is to afford such a service.
Need a delivery of a fast moving pathogen? A few gas canisters to remove terrorist problem? Or maybe some tungsten rods for hardened location? The highground is the best place to be, to provide a service to anyone who can afford to pay you with no questions asked.
Of course it’s just humanitarian relief supplies….
Space Ghost
Open & Close
https://youtu.be/4NjVTvbQEhE
1:43
The lava creature was my favorite
Troops in Space.
The first such proposals appeared in the mid-fifties. Under the leadership of Werner von Braun, a conceptual design of the landing craft based on the Jupiter ballistic missile was developed. It was proposed to equip the rocket with a special “passenger” capsule with seats for several dozen people. A bit later, a similar system based on the Redstone rocket was proposed. Both of these projects offered to deliver a landing party to the landing site. Neither proposal interested the military, since they did not have any noticeable advantages over the existing equipment, and they were also inferior to it in some other parameters.
Then came the Ithacus Space Troop Transport Concept of Douglas Aircraft’s Philip Buno.
First option: Full Ithacus: Transport of up to 1200 soldiers with weapons or 120 tons of cargo.
The second option was a complex called Ithacus 100-T. Smaller in size than the base option, and, as a consequence, a lower load-carrying capacity. In a smaller body, only 170 paratroopers or 60 tons of cargo could be placed.
https://en.topwar.ru/86575-proekt-desantnoy-raketnoy-sistemy-douglas-icarus-ithacus.html
Aliens (1986)
Drop Ship Scene
https://youtu.be/RBa5HFDkOwk
5:15
pzatchok,
I think that the reaction to the devastation from Helene answers many of your questions. All those disaster areas are within three hours to an air drop, and plenty needs to be dropped into those areas, especially drinking water. If the U.S. is incapable of airdropping in its own territory, how can it drop into friendly territory, much less hostile territory?
Downed pilots that need an airdrop are probably not at an airfield but are more likely in forested mountains, otherwise a helicopter could just come along and pick them up. A reusable lander might be handy for the times when the supplies go out of date and they bring the spacecraft back for resupply. That way, you don’t have to make another expensive spacecraft every time the supplies expire. That is the lesson of reusability.
John is right, there was a contract issued to study the feasibility for Starship to perform a similar mission, showing us that the military thinks that there may be a need for this kind of mission.
https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/spacexs-starship-gets-air-force-point-to-point-cargo-study-contract/
His name was Philip Bono, and I particularly liked his SASSTO design!
I could see this as a cover for making a Rods From God system.
But they should realize that as soon as they place things in orbit they will be investigated by everyone,
And they will have to demonstrate a working cargo delivery test to keep the cover story going.
But i also believe a ROD system could be just launched and used right away. Like an ICBM system what just delivers a storm of rods to the enemy.