US-based Vulcan Aerospace has reaffirmed its commitment to developing an aircraft-based satellite launcher, after a report claimed the project was on hold amid market shifts that put its viability in doubt. The group said its support for Stratolaunch Systems is “unwavering”, adding that it took time to develop a project with its scope and ambition.
US-based Vulcan Aerospace has reaffirmed its commitment to developing an aircraft-based satellite launcher, after a report claimed the project was on hold amid market shifts that put its viability in doubt.
Its Stratolaunch Systems subsidiary has been working on building the world’s largest aeroplane, capable of taking rockets to 30,000ft from where they would continue to LEO.
Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites unit is still helping to build the aircraft, but Stratolaunch recently decided to drop its rocket maker Orbital ATK to consider smaller launch vehicles that would tap growing demand for smallsats.
Before the strategy shift Stratolaunch had also hailed a partnership with space hardware firm Sierra Nevada to explore human spaceflight capability, satellite launch options, and point-to-point transportation.
The changes announced in the middle of this year came as reports suggested engineers were finding it more difficult to build a plane with a 385ft wingspan than they had anticipated.
Questions have also been raised about the need for an alternative launch system to serve the smallsat sector, which has been growing in recent years in part because of the availability of ‘rideshare’ options, where small satellites join larger payloads on the same rocket and pay less because they are considerably lighter.
Bobby Machinski, CEO and co-founder of Earth observation startup Hera Systems, told SatelliteFinance on Tuesday that his firm recently had no trouble securing launches to begin deploying its constellation from October.
Another notable milestone for the industry came in September, when smallsat launch provider Spaceflight said it had booked a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for its first dedicated rocket launch in H2 2017.
Citing aerospace industry officials this week, the Wall Street Journal said Stratolaunch appeared to be on hold, and that it had yet to make a decision on the technology it now plans to use, or provide a development timetable.
The report included quotes from Vulcan Aerospace president Chuck Beames, who said it had not shelved Stratolaunch, and that it took time to reassess the entire project to determine the best way forward.
Vulcan Aerospace, which is backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, later said in a statement sent to reporters: “Vulcan Aerospace remains steadfast in its mission to transform space transportation to low-Earth orbit by dramatically changing the current model of space launch. It is unfortunate that the recent, inaccurate, report by the Wall Street Journal implies, via unnamed sources, that this mission has wavered and is based on nothing more than rumours and speculation, not facts.
“Today, space launch continues to be hampered by long delays and high costs, especially for the burgeoning class of space entrepreneurs. To best serve the variety of space operators with more convenient and less expensive options, we envision affording the satellite operator multiple launch vehicle options with varying payload capabilities.
“An effort of this scope and ambition is a massive undertaking and takes time to develop. We are unwavering in our commitment to its success and expect to achieve additional milestones in 2016, as we continue to advance against our original timeline of being fully in service by the end of the decade.”
Stratolaunch is not the only venture looking to use aircraft to launch satellite-carrying rockets. Virgin Galactic has also been developing a capability in the US alongside its space tourism aspirations.
Switzerland’s S3 announced a milestone for its plane-based alternative on 30 September, partnering with UAE-based D&B Group to develop unmanned suborbital shuttles to launch smallsats in the Middle East by 2019.
