spacetoday.net: Space Adventures to acquire Space Launch Corp.

Posted: Wed, May 31, 2006, 7:12 AM ET (1112 GMT)
RASCAL illustration (DARPA)

Space tourism company Space Adventures announced Tuesday that it is buying launch vehicle technology firm Space Launch Corporation, allowing the firm to use that technology on future tourist vehicles. Space Launch Corporation will remain a wholly-owned subsidiary of Space Adventures under the deal, the terms of which were not disclosed. Space Launch Corp. had been developing a two-stage small launch vehicle called RASCAL for DARPA, using a supersonic aircraft for the first stage; DARPA, however, cancelled the program last year. Space Adventures said in a statement that while it will retain its role as a marketer of space tourist flights, it also planned to use Space Launch's technology "to bring to market future space tourism vehicles in the United States."