Lockheed and ATK revive Athena rocket program
Posted: Fri, Mar 26, 2010, 7:02 AM ET (1102 GMT)
Lockheed Martin and Alliant Techsystems announced Thursday that they were introducing the Athena line of small launch vehicles, primarily to go after civil and military government customers. The two-stage Athena 1c and three-stage Athena 2c will be able launch payloads of up to approximately 1,700 kilograms to low Earth orbit starting in 2012. The companies said the vehicles will use a new upper stage motor, the Castor 30, as well as upgraded electronics. They hope to attract business from NASA and Defense Department customers. The companies said the vehicles would be sold "at an affordable price" without being more specific; pricing is said to be "cost-competitive" to the Minotaur series of small launchers marketed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. The original Athena rockets launched seven times, with two failures, between 1995 and 2001.
Lockheed Martin and Alliant Techsystems announced Thursday that they were introducing the Athena line of small launch vehicles, primarily to go after civil and military government customers. The two-stage Athena 1c and three-stage Athena 2c will be able launch payloads of up to approximately 1,700 kilograms to low Earth orbit starting in 2012. The companies said the vehicles will use a new upper stage motor, the Castor 30, as well as upgraded electronics. They hope to attract business from NASA and Defense Department customers. The companies said the vehicles would be sold "at an affordable price" without being more specific; pricing is said to be "cost-competitive" to the Minotaur series of small launchers marketed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. The original Athena rockets launched seven times, with two failures, between 1995 and 2001.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Pentagon dismisses $1.2 trillion cost estimate for Golden Dome
Posted: Sat, May 16 9:36 AM ET (1336 GMT) Cowboy Space proposes 20,000 satellite orbital data center constellation
Posted: Sat, May 16 9:33 AM ET (1333 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, May 22
Starlab and 1789 Capital Announce Strategic Investment
Starlab Space — 6:34 am ET (1034 GMT) SpaceX's Starlink Subscribers Soar, But This Metric [ARPU] Keeps Falling
Investor's Business Daily — 6:31 am ET (1031 GMT) Ukraine Retook Territory After Hobbling Starlink, Pentagon Says
Bloomberg News — 6:30 am ET (1030 GMT) What to Know About the SpaceX IPO
Bloomberg News — 6:30 am ET (1030 GMT) New space system will better protect UK satellites as new imagery released
UK Ministry of Defence — 6:27 am ET (1027 GMT) |
