Photo: Stratolaunch
In this new space age dominated by vertical take-off rockets from SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing or the United Launch Alliance, two companies are trying hard to prove that horizontal-launches by means of carrier aircraft can be just as good, if not better.
The two are Virgin Galactic and Stratolaunch. While Richard Branson’s Virgin has caught the eye of the world a few times this year, Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch has been much quieter in 2018. And it will probably be the same in 2019. Not in 2020, though, as that year will mark the beginning of regular service for a new family of launch vehicles.
Statolaunch announced at the beginning of the week the first details on the launch vehicles it will build on its own. These are the vehicles the company will launch from the underbelly of the largest airplane by wingspan in the world.
In all, Stratolaunch plans to have ready four vehicles. The first is the Pegasus, already launched in various missions 35 times. It can carry a 370 kg payload, and it is supposed to do so commercially starting 2020.
The second is a yet unnamed medium-class air-launch vehicle optimized for short satellite integration. It will be capable of carrying a 3,400 kg payload and is expected to enter service in 2022.
A three-core variant of the medium-class air-launch vehicle is also under development, but no launch date was announced for it. Stratolaunch wants it to carry a 6,000 kg payload.
But the most exciting of the group is the fully reusable space plane. It is supposed to be able to carry both cargo and crew, but for the time being it exists only on the drawing board.
“We are excited to share for the first time some details about the development of our own, proprietary Stratolaunch launch vehicles, with which we will offer a flexible launch capability unlike any other,” said in a statement Jean Floyd, Chief Executive Officer at Stratolaunch.
“Whatever the payload, whatever the orbit, getting your satellite into space will soon be as easy as booking an airline flight.”
Statolaunch announced at the beginning of the week the first details on the launch vehicles it will build on its own. These are the vehicles the company will launch from the underbelly of the largest airplane by wingspan in the world.
In all, Stratolaunch plans to have ready four vehicles. The first is the Pegasus, already launched in various missions 35 times. It can carry a 370 kg payload, and it is supposed to do so commercially starting 2020.
The second is a yet unnamed medium-class air-launch vehicle optimized for short satellite integration. It will be capable of carrying a 3,400 kg payload and is expected to enter service in 2022.
A three-core variant of the medium-class air-launch vehicle is also under development, but no launch date was announced for it. Stratolaunch wants it to carry a 6,000 kg payload.
But the most exciting of the group is the fully reusable space plane. It is supposed to be able to carry both cargo and crew, but for the time being it exists only on the drawing board.
“We are excited to share for the first time some details about the development of our own, proprietary Stratolaunch launch vehicles, with which we will offer a flexible launch capability unlike any other,” said in a statement Jean Floyd, Chief Executive Officer at Stratolaunch.
“Whatever the payload, whatever the orbit, getting your satellite into space will soon be as easy as booking an airline flight.”
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