Photo: Hazegrayart
When one thinks of a spacecraft, one thinks about an object meant to go into space, do whatever it is supposed to do up there, and then come back (or not) to Earth. But there are people on this planet who envision using spacecraft to transport gear from point A to point B right here, on Earth, without the need for it to actually do something while in space.
Some of those people work for the U.S. military, in something called United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). That’s the organization tasked with coordinating transport missions in accordance with the military’s needs.
This week, two companies announced they’ve been tapped by USTRANSCOM for creating something that can only be described as a new global delivery network for military gear: Rocket Lab and Sierra Space.
More to the point, these guys are thinking of using civilian-developed spacecraft to move cargo and gear between locations on Earth, but also to orbital depots from where they could easily and rapidly be sent to where they’re needed.
USTRANSCOM is looking at using the Rocket Lab Neutron and Electron launch vehicles, and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane and Shooting Star cargo modules.
Each company is now involved in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with USTRANSCOM, so it’s unclear at this point if or when something tanglible will come of it.
If successful and implemented though, such a solution could change the way military (and not only) logistics happen. Think about it: would it be great for the military to have stockpiles of supplies in orbit, ready to be sent down to where they’re needed in a blink of an eye? Or, alternatively, dispatch these supplies quickly, by means of suborbital flights, from American bases to anywhere on Earth?
“Point-to-point space transportation offers a new ability to move equipment quickly around the world in hours, enabling a faster response to global emergencies and natural disasters,” said in a statement Rocket Lab CEO, Peter Beck.
This week, two companies announced they’ve been tapped by USTRANSCOM for creating something that can only be described as a new global delivery network for military gear: Rocket Lab and Sierra Space.
More to the point, these guys are thinking of using civilian-developed spacecraft to move cargo and gear between locations on Earth, but also to orbital depots from where they could easily and rapidly be sent to where they’re needed.
USTRANSCOM is looking at using the Rocket Lab Neutron and Electron launch vehicles, and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane and Shooting Star cargo modules.
Each company is now involved in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with USTRANSCOM, so it’s unclear at this point if or when something tanglible will come of it.
If successful and implemented though, such a solution could change the way military (and not only) logistics happen. Think about it: would it be great for the military to have stockpiles of supplies in orbit, ready to be sent down to where they’re needed in a blink of an eye? Or, alternatively, dispatch these supplies quickly, by means of suborbital flights, from American bases to anywhere on Earth?
“Point-to-point space transportation offers a new ability to move equipment quickly around the world in hours, enabling a faster response to global emergencies and natural disasters,” said in a statement Rocket Lab CEO, Peter Beck.
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