Rocketplane unveils new XP design
Posted: Sat, Oct 27, 2007, 8:39 AM ET (1239 GMT)
Rocketplane Global revealed on Friday a new design for its XP suborbital spaceplane that the company plans to have flying in 2010. The new design eliminates the Learjet heritage that had been the previous basis for the XP in favor of a design with a larger cabin that can accommodate five passengers and a pilot. More powerful jet engines will allow the XP to fly to 12,000 meters altitude before igniting its rocket engine, about twice the altitude of the old design. Company officials said that they are currently raising an unspecified amount of money for the vehicle to fund its development, with test flights slated to begin in 2010. Rocketplane Global's parent company, Rocketplane Inc., also operates Rocketplane Kistler; that company lost a funded COTS award from NASA earlier this month that would have supported the development of a completely different orbital vehicle, the K-1.
Rocketplane Global revealed on Friday a new design for its XP suborbital spaceplane that the company plans to have flying in 2010. The new design eliminates the Learjet heritage that had been the previous basis for the XP in favor of a design with a larger cabin that can accommodate five passengers and a pilot. More powerful jet engines will allow the XP to fly to 12,000 meters altitude before igniting its rocket engine, about twice the altitude of the old design. Company officials said that they are currently raising an unspecified amount of money for the vehicle to fund its development, with test flights slated to begin in 2010. Rocketplane Global's parent company, Rocketplane Inc., also operates Rocketplane Kistler; that company lost a funded COTS award from NASA earlier this month that would have supported the development of a completely different orbital vehicle, the K-1.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, August 31
AstroAgency Expansion Continues with New Partnerships and U.S. Showcase
AstroAgency — 11:01 am ET (1501 GMT) ClearSpace Welcomes UK Government’s Publication of Stage 1 RPO Sandbox Report
ClearSpace — 10:56 am ET (1456 GMT) SiriusXM’s SXM-10 Satellite Successfully Begins Operational Service
SiriusXM — 10:55 am ET (1455 GMT) LunaGrid-Lite Completes Critical Design Review, Flight Model Underway
Astrobotic Technology Inc. — 10:55 am ET (1455 GMT) ArkEdge Space Wins President’s Award from JST at the “Award for Academic Startups 2025”
ArkEdge Space — 10:45 am ET (1445 GMT) |
