Posted: Fri, Sep 17, 2004, 1:43 PM ET (1743 GMT)
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced this week that it has awarded four study contracts to companies developing a responsive, low-cost launch vehicle. DARPA, in cooperation with the Air Force, awarded the four Phase 2 contracts for the Force Application Launch from Continental US (FALCON) small launch vehicle program on Wednesday to Airlaunch LLC, Lockheed Martin, Microcosm, and SpaceX. The contracts are valued at between $8 and $11.7 million; SpaceX's contract was at the lower end as the company is already in the advanced stages of its launch vehicle program. The companies will spend the next 10 months performing preliminary design and development work; SpaceX will also conduct an "early, responsive launch demonstration". Next year one or more of the companies will be chosen for a Phase 2b program to design and fabricate a launch vehicle, with flight tests planned for 2007. The small launch vehicle is one of two phases of the FALCON program; the other is to design a "common aero vehicle" that could be launched atop the small launch vehicle as a way to deliver conventional munitions or other payloads around the world on short notice. NASA is also a partner on the FALCON small launch vehicle program.

Related Links:

•  DARPA press release
•  Defense Department contract announcement