Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation February 2005
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Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation February 2005
Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets About FAA/AST
About the Office of Commercial Space Transportation
The Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST) licenses
and regulates U.S. commercial space launch and reentry activity, as well as the operation of non-federal
launch and reentry sites, as authorized by Executive Order 12465 and Title 49 United States Code, Subtitle
IX, Chapter 701 (formerly the Commercial Space Launch Act). FAA/AST’s mission is to ensure public health
and safety and the safety of property while protecting the national security and foreign policy interests of the
United States during commercial launch and reentry operations. In addition, FAA/AST is directed to encour-
age, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and reentries. Additional information concerning
commercial space transportation can be found on FAA/AST’s web site at http://ast.faa.gov.
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation i
About FAA/AST Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets
NOTICE
Use of trade names or names of manufacturers in this document does not constitute an official endorsement of such
products or manufacturers, either expressed or implied, by the Federal Aviation Administration.
ii Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Spaceports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Recent Events in Commercial Suborbital Spaceflight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Suborbital Markets - An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
SRLV Emerging Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Tourism and Adventure Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Science and High-Speed Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Microsatellite Orbital Insertion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Microgravity Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Media, Advertising, and Sponsorship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Hardware Qualification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Commercial Remote Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Military Surveillance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Space Diving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
SRLV Long-Term Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Fast Package Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
High-Speed Aerospace Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Launch Company Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Acceleration Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Advent Launch Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
American Astronautics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Armadillo Aerospace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Beyond-Earth Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
High Altitude Research Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Masten Space Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Micro-Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
PanAero, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Rocketplane Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Scaled Composites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Space Transport Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
SpaceDev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
TGV Rockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Vanguard Spacecraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
XCOR Aerospace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Space Tourism Company Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Incredible Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Space Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Virgin Galactic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation iii
Contents Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets
Spaceports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
FAA Licensed Spaceports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Mojave Civilian Flight Test Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Proposed Spaceports Seeking an FAA License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Oklahoma Spaceport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Texas Spaceports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Appendix: A Brief History of Major U.S. Suborbital Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
The WAC-Corporal (1944-1950) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
The V-2 (1945-1952) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
The Bumper-WAC (1948-1952) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
The Viking (1946-1957) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
The Aerobee (1946-1965) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
The Nike (1946 to present) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Loki (1951-1985) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Honest John/Taurus (1951 to present) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Terrier (1959-present) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
iv Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets Introduction
Introduction
Suborbital launch activity has long been over- After initially pursuing the orbital satellite
looked by the commercial market, which for many market for low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations in
years focused exclusively on launching satellites. the mid-and late-1990s which has since collapsed,
Suborbital launch operations remained primarily in several launch companies have switched to pursuit
the government sector, supporting missile tests and of suborbital vehicles in a new market: public space
scientific work, and even there activity declined sig- travel and space tourism. New companies have also
nificantly after the end of the Cold War. Recently, started attracting investors in the past four years.
however, there has been a resurgence of interest in Much of the interest in suborbital space tourism has
commercial suborbital spaceflight, stimulated by the been galvanized by the Ansari X Prize, a $10-
emergence of new markets, notably space tourism, million award offered to the builders of the first
and new vehicles developed by entrepreneurs. With privately-developed reusable suborbital vehicle
the successful claiming of the Ansari X Prize, high capable of carrying three people to 100 kilometers
public interest in space travel, and new vehicles (62 miles) altitude twice within two weeks. The
under construction, entrepreneurial ventures are prize requirements were formulated to create
pushing a new industry forward at a rapid pace. vehicles that serve the space tourism market after
winning the prize. In addition, market surveys have
The Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles shown considerable interest in suborbital space-
(SRLV) and Emerging Markets report provides the flight by members of the public, including those
first comprehensive assessment by the Federal able to afford ticket prices of around $100,000 to
Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial $200,000 per flight.
Space Transportation (FAA/AST) of the commer-
cial suborbital reusable launch industry in the SRLV Proponents anticpate more markets than
United States. This document reviews three key space tourism. Vehicles that can fly to altitudes of
areas in this commercial suborbital renaissance: 100 kilometers or more can serve commercial, civil,
new markets for suborbital spaceflight, companies or military remote sensing markets, filling a niche
that are developing vehicles to serve those markets, between aircraft and orbiting spacecraft. The flight
and spaceports from which these vehicles can oper- profiles of such vehicles will result in several contin-
ate. This report also discusses the recent develop- uous minutes of microgravity, far longer than can be
ments in commercial suborbital spaceflight and the created with aircraft like NASA’s KC-135 “Vomit
history of suborbital rocketry. Comet,” or its C-9 replacement, which would permit
extended microgravity science applications as well
Markets as the qualification of experiments intended for flight
on the International Space Station. Suborbital
One of the biggest challenges for the commer-
vehicles can also serve as the first stage of an orbital
cial suborbital launch industry-arguably bigger than
launch system, carrying an expendable upper stage
developing the launch vehicles themselves-has been
that could place small spacecraft into orbit at
identifying and developing markets that can be
potentially far lower costs than existing expendable
served by suborbital vehicles. The commercial
launch vehicles. Other markets include: advertising,
orbital launch industry has the benefit of a major,
hardware qualification, remote sensing, and
well-defined market: launching spacecraft to serve
space diving.
telecommunications, remote sensing, and other
applications for commercial, civil government and
Should some or all of these initial suborbital
military clients. By contrast, although there is a
markets prove viable, the resulting income will
government market for expendable suborbital
provide vehicle developers and operators with a
launch services, what exists is mostly confined to
cash flow that will enable the development of new
missile defense and scientific applications that have
generations of more capable reusable suborbital
little commercial applicability.
vehicles. These vehicles, capable of flying to higher
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation 1
Introduction Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets
altitudes or longer distances downrange, can in turn microgravity, and lower operating costs. In addi-
open new suborbital markets, including rapid deliv- tion, standards for payloads will be important (e.g.
ery of critical packages and, eventually, high-speed vehicle interfaces) for suborbital payloads so as to
passenger transportation. However, these markets reduce customer dependence on a single launch
may take decades to fully develop, as they require services provider. This should have the effect of
not just new suborbital vehicles but improvements reducing the risk of scheduling problems, while
in the overall transportation infrastructure. fostering competition. Historically, one of the
enabling elements for new markets and for market
Vehicles expansion has been the development of common
industry-wide standards.
Suborbital launches predate their orbital
counterparts by decades-centuries if one considers
Spaceports
early rocketry experimentation in Europe and Asia.
Existing expendable suborbital rockets can trace The United States currently has 10 commercial
their heritage back to the efforts of Robert Goddard and federal spaceports. These facilities, however, are
and Wernher von Braun in the 1920s and 1930s. designed primarily to support orbital launch activity,
The early rockets were primarily sponsored for as well as a limited number of conventional, non-
the development missiles rather than space launch commercial suborbital launches. The established
vehicles. After the second world war their uses federal ranges are less well suited, however, to
were expanded and they became the forerunners support launch activities by the emerging generation
of both orbital and suborbital launch vehicles in of piloted reusable suborbital vehicles. These vehi-
use today. cles often do not require the launch pads or range
infrastructure of orbital launch vehicles: many need
The new generation of commercial suborbital little more than a flat pad or runway, as well as fairly
vehicles under development today bears little modest tracking capabilities. Moreover, industry is
resemblance to its predecessors. Most of these new concerned about the cost and regulatory burdens of
vehicles were designed to be eligible for the Ansari federal launch ranges and co-located spaceports, due
X Prize, and thus are designed to safely carry three to suborbital vehicle operators’ desire to fly on flexi-
people and be reusable. Beyond that, however, ble schedules and minimize their range fees. In the
there were few design restrictions for the prize, and opinion of some potential operators range fees
thus there has been an array of different designs put would account for the dominant portion of their
forward. Vehicles under development include those operations costs.1
that launch vertically and horizontally, as well as
those deployed from aircraft or balloons. Landing To address the needs of suborbital vehicle
systems include a combination of wings, jets, operators, several new spaceports specifically
rockets, and parachutes. A variety of other unique designed to support commercial suborbital launch
design features were also employed to permit the activities have been or are currently being devel-
development of reusable suborbital vehicles that oped. Mojave Airport in California is the latest
could meet the requirements of the prize. facility to obtain an FAA/AST launch site operator
license, in June 2004, specifically to serve subor-
Because many of these vehicles are still in the bital vehicles that take off and land horizontally.
early development and test stages, it is not clear yet Other spaceports in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and
what vehicle designs will prove optimal to serve Texas, are continuing to develop and are seeking
commercial suborbital markets. It’s quite possible FAA/AST spaceport licenses in addition to those
that different vehicles will emerge to serve different already licensed in California (at Vandenberg Air
markets, depending on the unique requirements of Force Base), Florida, Virginia, and Alaska. New
those markets and their commercial potential. Mexico was selected to host the X Prize Cup, an
Vehicle developers are also considering future gen- exhibition and competition of suborbital vehicles,
erations of piloted reusable suborbital spacecraft, scheduled to start in 2006.
including those with increased passenger or cargo
capacity, higher peak altitudes, increased time in
2 Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets Recent Events
Recent Events in Commercial Suborbital Spaceflight
2003 October 28: The da Vinci Project of Toronto,
Ontario, announced that it will perform the X Prize
April 9: Starchaser Industries of Cheshire,
qualification flights of its Wild Fire suborbital RLV
England, test-fired its Churchill Mk 2 bi-propellant
from Kindersley, Saskatchewan.
engine for the first time. The engine will be used on
the company’s Thunderbird and Thunderstar subor- October 30: FAA/AST determined that XCOR
bital RLV vehicles. Aerospace’s launch license application for a
manned suborbital RLV was sufficiently complete.
April 16: XCOR Aerospace of Mojave, California,
announced $187,500 in additional equity invest-
November 22: High Altitude Research Corporation
ments. The investments qualify the company for a
(HARC) of Huntsville, Alabama, unveiled its
Defense Department program that matches private
Liberator suborbital RLV project.
capital four to one. The company will use the
investment to develop rocket pump technology
December 15: The X Prize adds two teams to its
for its planned suborbital RLV.
competition: HARC and Space Transport
Corporation of Forks, Washington.
April 18: Scaled Composites of Mojave,
California, unveiled its “Tier One” suborbital
December 17: On the centennial of the Wright
spaceflight program, consisting of an aircraft,
Brothers’ first airplane flight, Scaled Composites
White Knight, which carries aloft a rocket-powered
conducted the first powered flight of
spacecraft, SpaceShipOne.
SpaceShipOne, achieving a top speed of Mach 1.2
May 20: Scaled Composites flew the first captive and peak altitude of 20,720 meters (68,000 feet).
carry flight of SpaceShipOne and White Knight The company also announced that Microsoft co-
from the Mojave Airport in California. founder Paul Allen has been the financial sponsor
of the project.
June 26: Canadian Arrow of London, Ontario,
announced its team of six astronauts - four Canadian, 2004
one American, and one Ukrainian - who will fly the January 12: Rocketplane Ltd. (formerly Pioneer
company’s eponymous suborbital RLV. Rocketplane) announced that it had broken ground
on facilities at the Oklahoma Spaceport in Burns
July 5: Armadillo Aerospace of Mesquite, Texas, Flat, Oklahoma. Those facilities will be used to
performed a drop test of a prototype of its Black build and operate its planned suborbital RLV.
Armadillo vehicle to test parachute deployment and
its crushable nose cone. January 21: The X Prize Foundation selected
Florida and New Mexico as finalists to host the X
July 22: Starchaser Industries conducted a drop test Prize Cup, a competition among suborbital RLV
of its Nova 2 capsule, part of its Thunderbird subor- companies.
bital RLV, at Red Lake, Arizona.
February 4: The House Science Committee
August 7: Scaled Composites flew the first glide approved by voice vote H.R. 3752, the Commercial
test of SpaceShipOne, detaching from the White Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004. The legis-
Knight carrier aircraft at an altitude of 14,320 lation specifically identifies AST as the regulating
meters (47,000 feet) and gliding to a landing at the authority for suborbital spaceflight, establishes an
Mojave Airport 19 minutes later. experimental permit system for RLVs, and extends
the existing liability regime to cover commercial
October 20: The FAA published a notice in the RLV flights, including those carrying passengers.
Federal Register officially defining suborbital rockets
and suborbital trajectories and stating that vehicles
that meet these definitions will be regulated by AST.
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation 3
Recent Events Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets
March 4: The House of Representatives approved June 21: Scaled Composites conducted the third
H.R. 3752 on a vote of 402-1. powered flight of SpaceShipOne, achieving a maxi-
mum speed of Mach 2.9 and a peak altitude of
March 28: Space Transport Corporation success- 100,124 meters (328,491 feet). The flight was the
fully test-fired its 53,400-newton (12,000-pounds- first time a commercial manned suborbital space-
force) solid-propellant engine that will power the craft reached space. The pilot, Michael Melvill, was
company’s suborbital RLV. awarded FAA/AST commercial astronaut wings.
April 1: FAA/AST awarded a launch license to June 23: Starchaser Industries announced it would
Scaled Composites for SpaceShipOne, the first open a U.S. office in Las Cruces, New Mexico,
manned suborbital launch license issued by the with plans to begin flight operations from the
agency. Southwest Regional Spaceport as early as 2006.
April 8: Scaled Composites conducted the second July 22: The Space Commercial Human Ascent
powered flight of SpaceShipOne, achieving a top Serving Expeditions (CHASE) Act, S.2722, the
speed of Mach 1.6 and peak altitude of 32,000 Senate version of H.R. 3752, was introduced.
meters (105,000 feet).
July 27: Mojave Aerospace Ventures (the official
April 23: FAA/AST awarded a launch license to name of the Ansari X Prize team led by Scaled
XCOR Aerospace for its Sphinx manned suborbital Composites and funded by Paul Allen) announced
RLV. that it would conduct the first of its two planned
Ansari X Prize qualification flights on September
May 5: The X Prize announced a multimillion- 29 from Mojave, California.
dollar donation from entrepreneurs Anousheh
Ansari and Amir Ansari. The prize was renamed the August 5: The da Vinci Project announced that it
Ansari X Prize. would conduct the first of its two planned Ansari
X Prize qualification flights on October 2 from
May 11: The X Prize Foundation selected New Kindersley, Saskatchewan.
Mexico as the state where the annual X Prize Cup,
a series of flight competitions for suborbital vehi- August 7: A subscale technology demonstration
cles, expected to begin in 2006, will be held. vehicle built by Armadillo Aerospace crashed
during a test flight in Mesquite, Texas, when the
May 17: GoFast, a suborbital rocket built by the vehicle ran out of propellant at an altitude of
amateur Civilian Space Exploration Team, achieved approximately 180 meters (600 feet).
a maximum altitude of 124 kilometers (77 miles) in
a launch from the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The August 8: Space Transport Corporation’s Rubicon
launch was the first time an amateur-built rocket 1 vehicle was destroyed during a test flight near
reached space. Queets, Washington, when one of the vehicle’s two
solid fuel motors exploded on ignition.
June 15: Armadillo Aerospace conducted a
successful test flight of its subscale technology August 14: Canadian Arrow conducted a successful
demonstrator vehicle in Mesquite, Texas, achieving drop test of its passenger capsule, dropping it 2,400
a maximum altitude of 40 meters (131 feet). meters (7,900 feet) from a helicopter into Lake
Ontario near Toronto.
June 17: FAA/AST awarded a launch site operator
license to the East Kern Airport District to cover August 16: Masten Space Systems, of Santa Clara,
suborbital spaceflight activities at Mojave Airport. California, announced that it planned to develop the
XA-1, a reusable unmanned suborbital vehicle capa-
ble of flying to 100 km altitude to serve microgravity
and other research and development markets.
4 Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets Recent Events
August 17: The da Vinci Project announced it had October 4: SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie,
changed its name to “The GoldenPalace.com Space completed the second of its two Ansari X Prize
Project: Powered by the da Vinci Project.” qualification flights at Mojave Airport, reaching a
peak altitude of 112,000 meters (367,442 feet). The
September 23: The GoldenPalace.com Space prize judging team declared the flight a success the
Project: Powered by the da Vinci Project announced same day, and officially declared Mojave Aerospace
that its planned October 2 launch from Kindersley, Ventures, sponsors of the SpaceShipOne team, the
Saskatchewan, would be delayed for an unspecified winners of the prize.
period because of delays in the availability of a few
key components. November 6: Mojave Aerospace Ventures was
presented with a check for $10 million dollars and
September 25: Beyond-Earth Enterprises of a trophy for capturing the Ansari X Prize in a cere-
Colorado Springs, Colorado, conducted two flight mony at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis,
tests of one-third scale demonstrators of its planned Missouri.
recoverable suborbital rocket from Frederick,
Oklahoma; one rocket reached an altitude of over November 20: U.S. House of Representative
4,575 meters (15,000 feet). passed H.R. 5382, a revision of H.R. 3752 by a
vote of 269 to 120. H.R. 5382 addressed concerns
September 29: SpaceShipOne, piloted by Mike about language definining what types of vehicles
Melvill, completed the first of its two Ansari X are considered as suborbital, crew safety and
Prize qualification flights at Mojave Airport, passengers rights to sue operators.
reaching a peak altitude of 102,870 meters (337,500
feet). The prize judging team declared the flight a December 9: U.S. Senate passes H.R. 5382 by a
successful attempt the following day. unanimous vote.
October 1: The GoldenPalace.com Space Project:
Powered by the da Vinci Project announced that
Transport Canada, the Canadian equivalent of the
U.S. Department of Transportation, had awarded
the team a launch license for its Wild Fire vehicle.
The license expired on November 1, 2004.
October 4: Rocketplane Ltd. announced that it had
entered into an agreement with tourism company
Incredible Adventures, of Sarasota, Florida, to
market tourist flights on Rocketplane’s XP vehicle
starting in 2007, at a ticket price of $99,500.
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation 5Recent Events Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets 6 Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets Suborbital Markets - An Overview
Suborbital Markets - An Overview
Expendable suborbital vehicles have been serving enthusiasts interested in building and launching
several distinct markets for over 40 years. However, rockets. These rockets have become more powerful,
the suborbital field has seen many changes during and it is possible that a handful of these rocket
that time. The use of suborbital vehicles, including amateurs may pursue business plans based on
sounding rockets, has dropped considerably since successful vehicle performance.
the Cold War period, when several hundred such
vehicles were launched annually. Suborbital vehi- Reusable suborbital vehicles, on the other hand,
cles were then used predominantly for military and are expected to lead a renaissance in the suborbital
scientific research funded almost entirely through marketplace, beginning with human suborbital
government budget allocations. Universities were adventure travel. While the idea of a human-rated
also major participants in sounding rocket pro- vehicle capable of suborbital missions is not new,
grams, a relationship enabled by public funding in the potential for a commercial suborbital industry
the form of research grants. However, the number is. Recent studies have demonstrated that customer
of Ph.D. theses dedicated to atmospheric or astro- demand for suborbital adventure travel is robust
nomical research dependent on sounding rockets enough to get an industry rolling, and it is expected
has continually declined since the 1970s. that the winning of the Ansari X Prize will effec-
tively initiate this emerging market.
During the suborbital heyday of the Cold War, it
was not uncommon for more than 700 suborbital Other short-term commercial suborbital markets
rockets to be launched annually to serve the mili- that may emerge in the next ten years include
tary and scientific markets. Even in the late 1980s science and high-speed research, microsatellite
the average number of suborbital rockets launched insertion, microgravity research, hardware qualifi-
for military, scientific, and educational purposes cation, military and commercial remote sensing,
remained over 300 annually. A significant decrease and advertising and sponsorship. Still more markets
in the early 1990s, however, has left the annual are expected to emerge 30-40 years from now,
market for suborbital launches at well under 100. when second- and third-generation vehicles allow
This decrease in demand for suborbital launches for point-to-point travel and are supported by more
has many causes, but three factors appear as the extensive ground infrastructure.
most significant. First, with the collapse of the
Soviet Union in 1991 and the end of the Cold War, SRLV Emerging Markets
the number of military suborbital research and Tourism and Adventure Travel
missile test launches has dropped. Second, students
pursuing graduate research appear less likely to do Space tourism and adventure travel is likely
so in fields requiring sounding rockets, instead to become the first successful suborbital market to
focusing on genetics, microbiology, computer engi- emerge during the next ten years. The birth of this
neering, and other disciplines. Finally, traditional market is expected to begin around 2007, spurred in
users of suborbital vehicle technology are increas- large part by the emergence of suborbital vehicle
ingly turning to other options, such as computer entrepreneurs outside the aerospace industry
simulations, stratospheric balloons, and high- mainstream and competitive pursuit of the Ansari
altitude aircraft, to perform their research. X Prize, which was won in October 2004. The X
Prize Foundation was established in 1996 to award
There are, however, a few signs that the number of $10 million to the first team to launch a suborbital
expendable suborbital vehicles launched annually reusable launch vehicle (SRLV) capable of carrying
will increase in the near future. For example, the three people to an altitude of 100 kilometers, return
Department of Defense (DoD) will continue to safely to Earth, and repeat the exercise within two
launch interceptor and target vehicles in support of weeks. With patronage from the Ansari family, the
an anti-ballistic missile shield. Another positive renamed competition produced a group of 20 plus
sign is the growing number of rocket hobbyists and domestic and international contenders and symbol-
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation 7Suborbital Markets - An Overview Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets
izes the introduction of a truly reusable passenger- Aerospace Ventures won the Ansari X Prize, Virgin
carrying space launch vehicle. Even though the Galactic alone reported that 7,000 people had regis-
Ansari X Prize has been won, SRLV development tered for future tourist flights on a vehicle based on
and testing by the various teams is expected to con- SpaceShipOne to be built by Scaled Composites.
tinue in pursuit of recognition, business ambitions
and other prize competitions. The Foundation will Futron Corporation produced a comprehen-
sponsor special events around the world similar in sive report2 of space tourism and adventure travel in
principle to air shows, designed to promote nascent 2002. Futron contracted with Zogby International to
suborbital markets and provide competitions to survey 450 individuals with annual incomes of at
keep innovation thriving. The X Prize Foundation is least $250,000 or a net worth of at least $1 million.
attempting to create a new business model for space The study identified realistic price points: between
business to include sponsorships. $25,000 and $250,000 per suborbital flight, and
$1 million to $25 million per orbital flight. A for-
To follow-on the successful X Prize, the X mer Space Shuttle commander with substantial
Prize Cup has been announced. The Cup will fea- experience in human spaceflight helped to draft
ture a series of cash prize competitions ranging a description of what a realistic space experience
from fastest turn-around time, maximum number would be like for a private citizen.
of passengers per flight and during the entire Cup
event, to maximum altitude attained and fastest The responses gathered from the 450 surveyed
flight time from take-off to landing. An overall individuals were analyzed over a period of eight
annual X Prize Cup title will also be awarded based months, and profiles of those who were most likely
on points in the other competitions. Flight competi- to pay for a space experience were developed. Some
tions for the X Prize Cup are scheduled for October 42 percent of the respondents characterized them-
2006. A Public Spaceflight Exhibition is planned selves as either “somewhat likely,” “very likely,” or
for October 2005. Both Cup-related events will be “definitely likely” to pay for a suborbital ride, and
held in New Mexico. 51 percent of those indicated they would pay at least
$25,000 for the privilege. Customer preferences were
Unlike the commercial satellite launch market identified for the basic trip scenarios and compared
- the focus market of initial RLV entrepreneurs- with the realistic description of a trip to space.
the demand for tourism flights is expected to be
significant in the coming years. Tourism companies The analysis, which resulted in a 20-year
involved with marketing space travel, including forecast of passengers and revenue, did not address
Space Adventures, Ltd, Incredible Adventures, and the business case for a suborbital vehicle; rather, it
Virgin Galactic, have described a high level of fas- addressed the demand for services that might be
cination and interest from the public. After Mojave provided via a suborbital or orbital vehicle. The
Table 1: Announced Suborbital Space Tourism Agreements
Passengers
Tourism Estimated First Advertised
Vehicle Passengers Registered for
Vehicle Name Marketing Operations Price Per Launch Site
Operator Per Flight Future
Company* Flight Passenger
Flights**
Mojave
Mojave Airport,
Aerospace SpaceShipTwo Virgin Galactic 2007 $190,000 5 7,000
California
Ventures, LLC
Rocketplane Incredible Burns Flat,
Rocketplane XP 2007 $99,500 2 Unannounced
Ltd Adventures Oklahoma
XCOR Space Mojave Airport,
Xerus 2007 $98,000 1 Unannounced
Aerospace Adventures California
*Some operators have more than one marketing company.
**Space Adventures has reported over 100 deposits for space flights for vehicles to be determined.
8 Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space TransportationSuborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets Suborbital Markets - An Overview
challenge for the aerospace industry is to develop a with no budget to actually launch them. Principal
vehicle that can most effectively meet this demand. investigators funded by NASA are unable to select
their own commercial launch services because their
Results of the study showed that demand for experiment funding includes money to launch on
suborbital space adventure travel exists, and that it government-built suborbital vehicles, typically from
remains latent because of a lack of vehicles. Once Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. This has led to
vehicles are introduced (and the assumption for U.S. government control of the vehicle market for
purposes of the study was that such vehicles could civil science payloads.
carry two passengers), the study forecast that a total
of almost 16,500 people could be traveling to Because of recent budget cuts to NASA’s
suborbital altitudes by the year 2021. Those passen- sounding rocket program, fewer launches are
gers would pay suborbital vehicle operators fares expected and scientific review panels are taking
that, combined, would total an estimated $800 fewer risks.3 The cost of launching solar and astro-
million in revenues. physics missions requiring higher performance
vehicles and recoverable payloads from White
It should be noted that this study focused on Sands Missile Range is no longer affordable.4
suborbital and orbital passenger flights, and did not
address demand for other services in detail. In addi- New, reusable suborbital launch vehicle firms
tion, the scope for the study did not focus on the believe they can offer more frequent flight opportu-
support infrastructure necessary to sustain the pro- nities at similar or lower costs than NASA if
jected number of flights. It is possible that addition- science investigators were given funding vouchers
al, perhaps more significant, sources of revenue for selecting their own launch vehicles.
resulting from suborbital activity will emerge.
Additional space tourism studies have been done by A small but proven international commercial
Space Adventures, NASA, National Space Society, market for expendable suborbital vehicles has been
and Patrick Collins among others. a high-speed test bed for scientific experiments.
Australia’s University of Queensland flew two
Science and High-Speed Research supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) test mis-
sions called Hyshot from Woomera, Australia, on
Not long after rockets were invented, it
Astrotech’s Terrier-Orion vehicles. Even though the
became clear that instruments for measuring the
launch was not conducted for or by the U.S. gov-
upper atmosphere, imaging the Sun, and otherwise
ernment, the Terrier-Orion vehicle was built by an
studying the environment many hundreds of
American company, Astrotech and therefore these
kilometers above the Earth could be installed as
missions were licensed by the FAA. The 2001 and
payloads. In the earliest cases, data was retrieved
2002 flights will be repeated with future missions
on tapes that returned to Earth after a short flight.
by DTI (formerly Astrotech), possibly in 2005.
Often the data was destroyed, but sometimes it
returned intact and revealed information about the
Other countries have emerged as major
ionosphere and the Sun’s corona. Launching spe-
providers of suborbital launch services, including
cialized suborbital rockets (sounding rockets are so
Norway, Japan, Brazil, and India. No particular
named because they have been primarily limited to
country dominates the field of suborbital high-
atmospheric research,) has continued to this day,
altitude research.
but at a much reduced level.
SRLVs may introduce a resurgence in subor-
Since 1989, the FAA has licensed 14 subor-
bital high-altitude research, perhaps akin to the
bital launches by expendable vehicles, all connect-
phenomenally successful joint NASA-Air Force
ed to government sponsors. For most universities
X-15 vehicle flights of the 1960s. One advantage of
with interest in flying space science experiments
the X-15, beyond its high speed, was the ability to
and satellites, cost is the primary issue. Launches
change out instrument racks quickly and efficiently,
have been difficult to fund without government
reducing turn-around time in order to accommodate
support: some universities build complete satellites
researchers’ schedules. Such an approach would be
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation 9Suborbital Markets - An Overview Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets
ideal for a commercial vehicle used for research several of their satellites remain on the shelves
and other purposes. In addition, a single SRLV can because universities simply cannot afford the
be used to monitor the Earth’s upper atmosphere launch costs. The satellite may cost as little as a
over the span of many years at potentially a much few thousand dollars, but the launch is orders of
lower total cost than to conduct the same research magnitude more expensive. If a vehicle could
using many expendable rockets. launch them at lower costs, OSSS foresees thou-
sands of its satellites being launched annually in
Microsatellite Orbital Insertion twenty years.
Suborbital vehicles can be designed as a first
Similarly, agencies like DARPA have
stage for launching small satellites into LEO.
an interest in studying technologies related to
Essentially, a piloted SRLV would reach a specific
microsatellites, including constellations of maneu-
altitude determined by such parameters as orbit
verable mini-spacecraft. Some high technology
desired, atmospheric conditions, and mass of the
research and development efforts end without
payload, and then release an upper stage with the
achieving actual space testing. If the price tag
payload attached. The upper stage - in much the
of such projects could be reduced by utilizing
same way an upper stage would send a satellite to
inexpensive launch options, more money could
geosynchronous orbit (GEO) after separating from
be spent on satellites and related technologies.
an orbital launch vehicle - would boost the small
satellite to the required orbit. The SRLV would then
Microgravity Research
coast back to a landing site, either powered or
unpowered depending on the design. SRLVs may participate in and stimulate
microgravity research. While suborbital RLVs cannot
A similar concept already being pursued by match the extended microgravity research possible in
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency orbit, more experiments can be sent up than might be
(DARPA) is called RASCAL, or Responsive otherwise possible for customers waiting for orbital
Access, Small Cargo, Affordable Launch. RASCAL flights with a faster turnaround. SRLVs can also
will be composed of an air-breathing first stage allow researchers greater flexibility at lower costs
capable of reaching 61 kilometers (200,000 ft) alti- than for researchers who must depend on the occa-
tude while carrying a small upper stage. The com- sional orbital launch that costs hundreds of millions
plete system will be capable of deploying 50 kilo- of dollars. For example, physiological research
gram (110 pound) microsatellites directly into could be conducted on a routine basis, a particular-
orbits with any inclination. The RASCAL vehicle ly useful scenario if the vehicle can maneuver (as
will be able to take off within one hour of a launch opposed to a ballistic vehicle whose maneuverability
command and refly again within 24 hours at a cost is relatively limited). Indeed, the researcher himself
of no more than $750,000 per flight. The program or herself can go along for the ride on a SRLV, rather
has progressed past the Preliminary Design Review than depend on a professional astronaut who must
stage due to the efforts of the Space Launch be trained.
Corporation contractor team. Phase 3 development
is scheduled to begin during 1st quarter of 2005. Media, Advertising, and Sponsorship
During Phase 3 prototype vehicles will be construt- Entertainment media outlets, advertising
ed. The first satellite launches are expected to occur agencies, and sponsorship by a wide variety of
in 2008.5 interested parties is expected to show interest in
new suborbital launch vehicles. While these groups
The market for microsatellites is not well
will not necessarily purchase a launch, they will
understood, but enough data exists to indicate that
provide an important source of revenue for SRLV
at least two customer groups would be interested in
operators. In addition, it is probable that there will
a very low-cost method of launching “throwaway”
be an initial spike of interest among these groups to
microsatellites. One Stop Satellite Solutions
exploit the “newness” of SRLV technologies, fol-
(OSSS), based in Utah, builds microsatellites pri-
lowed by a gradual flattening out as the overall mar-
marily for university clients. According to OSSS,
ket matures. Feature and documentary filmmakers
10 Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space TransportationSuborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets Suborbital Markets - An Overview
may have an interest in pursuing new opportunities exploited in orbit is granting astronauts the right to
presented by access to space on suborbital vehicles. utilize a product in space in exchange for the novel-
The Discovery Channel paid for rights to telecast ty of simply seeing the product used in space.
two documentaries about the Ansari X Prize in
October 2004. Similarly, access to Russian sub- Public sponsorship through the collection of
mersibles, previously unavailable to the commercial monies from interested organizations and individu-
sector, allowed filmmaker James Cameron to visit als to create prizes to be awarded for a variety of
the sunken Titanic up close for the movie “Titanic” contests related to SRLVs, such as the Ansari X
and documentary “Ghosts of the Abyss.” Realistic Prize and the X Prize Cup will perhaps profoundly
microgravity scenes in “Apollo 13” were filmed affect the development of SRLVs. Contests take
aboard a modified KC-135 (“Vomit Comet”) air- advantage of the competitive streak in human
plane, which has since been turned into a commer- beings and promote creativity, innovation, and
cial business by the Zero-Gravity Corporation. teamwork, often across traditional political barriers.
Commercial SRLV operators may provide a new These contests by necessity break through stagnant
outlet for visual entertainment in the decades ahead. thinking and the status quo, which is why they are
effective in jump-starting emerging markets.
Advertising is a tried-and-true method of
selling products and ideas. Commercial SRLVs, and Prizes sponsored by companies and wealthy
even non-commercial ones, will likely be embla- investors were awarded for a variety of aviation
zoned with the livery of the manufacturers and firsts and were key motivators in sparking what has
sponsors in the same tradition we see today with become the commercial aviation industry today.
orbital launch vehicles. It is rare that a third party Prizes often promote more spending than the amount
will pay for the privilege to advertise on a launch of the purse. They allow the promoter to advance his
vehicle, but it has been done. Pizza Hut, in one goal without choosing a technology or a vehicle.
famous example, paid to have its logo pasted to the Development of the required technology often con-
side of a Russian Proton vehicle. During the final tinues after the reward has been claimed. An histori-
Ansari X Prize qualifying flight SpaceShipOne cal example of this is the Vin Fiz-sponsored cross
featured the Virgin Group logo on its fuselage. country flight in 1911, in which Cal Rogers flew a
Wright Flyer from Long Island to Long Beach in
Advertising could also come from companies pursuit of the Hearst Prize. Publisher William
who provided subcomponents, engineering, design, Randolph Hearst offered a $50,000 prize to the first
and other services for the prime contractor or SRLV aviator to cross the country in 30 days or less.
operator. Other opportunities exist for non-profit Rogers took 84 days, 16 stops and endured 19 crash-
organizations and political campaigns. SRLVs es during the flight, but kept going even after it was
present a unique opportunity for advertisers not clear he could not win the prize. In a more recent
only because of their novelty, but also because example, Canada’s Da Vinci Project, Canadian
SRLVs represent an opportunity to link the once- Arrow, America’s Armadillo Aerospace and others
distant idea of space with the average consumer. have continued development of their vehicles, even
Media exposure also makes SRLV advertising though Mojave Aerospace Ventures has already won
attractive to potential advertisers. the Ansari X Prize.
Finally, sponsorship, which has a long history Hardware Qualification
in jump-starting nascent markets, will have a role
Another potential use of SRLVs would be to
to play as the emerging SRLV industry gains a
subject equipment to the launch and microgravity
foothold. Sponsorship can come in a variety of
environment prior to certification on manned space
forms, including sending people into space as a
platforms like the International Space Station.
result of winning a lottery or prize paid for by the
However, this market would compete with cheaper
sponsor, or providing astronauts and passengers
testing methods currently available such as
with jumpsuits covered in patches representing
aircraft and ground-based load-testing facilities.
donor organizations (similar to the suits worn by
Furthermore, the loads offered by the piloted
NASCAR drivers). Another opportunity already
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation 11Suborbital Markets - An Overview Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets
vehicles currently in development might only be over selected territories. Remote sensing satellites,
attractive to equipment developers intending their in contrast, orbit high above the Earth providing
hardware for transport and use aboard manned space essentially the same types of services at less expen-
vehicles. Unmanned rockets subject equipment to sive rates relative to aerial methods, though gener-
sounds, loads, and vibrations in excess of human ally with a slightly degraded resolution (this is rap-
tolerances. Aircraft offer about 30 seconds of idly changing, however). Also, real-time commer-
microgravity during the arcing flight paths they use cial satellite remote sensing products are not yet
to generate microgravity conditions. The current available. Some emerging SRLV businesses have
generation of SRLVs while offering several minutes recognized a “gap” between altitudes exploited by
of microgravity, are not envisioned to conduct air- aerial platforms and those occupied by LEO satel-
craft style flight profiles. SRLV operators would lites. This niche, the suborbital remote sensing
have to develop a method to repeat or extend the realm, may prove useful for some clients interested
microgravity times during a single flight in order to in high-resolution, quick-turnaround imagery cover-
offer a competing experience to hardware develop- ing a larger area than an aircraft could. A satellite
ers. The aircraft in current use also offer more could cover the same area, but its orbit may not tra-
volume for experimentation. While no SRLVs are verse the area of interest for several days.
currently being offered with similar accommoda-
tions, as the designs mature larger vehicles may Potential clients include disaster relief agen-
appear. However, it is conceivable that if an cies, insurance companies, oil companies, interna-
equipment item is small enough to share a flight tional banks, meteorologists, and military organiza-
with other cargo or passengers then cost might tions. These groups have a strong interest in inex-
become low enough to make SRLVs a viable pensive, real-time, high-resolution, quick-turn-
alternative to established methods of manned around remote sensing products. The challenge for
flight hardware qualifications. commercial SRLV operators will be to keep the
cost of operating and maintaining their SRLVs low,
Commercial Remote Sensing so that inexpensive services relative to aerial plat-
forms can be provided. And like aircraft, a SRLV
The remote sensing industry consists of
conducting remote sensing flights would need to
four main parts: aerial imagery, ground stations,
operate near the target area of interest. The flexibil-
value-added products (often called geographic
ity of operating from multiple locations and local
information systems, or GIS), and satellites. Total
airspace regulations would need to be considered.
sales for all sectors of the U.S. remote sensing
Some emerging SRLV providers, like TGV
industry amounted to an estimated $2 billion in
Rockets, expect to reap the benefits of this
2001, with the bulk attributable to the sales of GIS
untapped market.
software and services and aerial imagery. Worldwide
sales of raw commercial satellite remote sensing
Military Surveillance
imagery generated an estimated $200 million in
revenues for 2001, with a projected revenue total Collection of national security imagery is
approaching $500 million by 2010. done by both aerial platforms and satellites. Crewed
aircraft have been used by the military for almost a
Typical platforms (aircraft and satellites) host century. Uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) are
a suite of passive sensors designed to detect reflect- relatively new to modern warfare, with projections
ed light and include panchromatic (visible imagery, showing that many such vehicles will be flying
such as that produced by a camera) and infrared around the war zones of the future. As it is today,
(IR) sensors. Active sensors providing radar and these systems cover several “layers” in terms of
lidar imagery are also examples of services offered remote sensing platforms. Satellites adequately
by aerial and satellite remote sensing providers. cover the ultimate high ground but have limited
While aerial imagery is obtained relatively close to maneuvering ability, while UAVs and crewed
the Earth, yielding high-resolution imagery and reconnaissance aircraft like the U-2 are deployed
real-time data across a broad spectrum, the services within the Earth’s atmosphere and are highly
provided are expensive. In addition, legal and inter- maneuverable.
national restrictions prevent aircraft from flying
12 Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space TransportationSuborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets Suborbital Markets - An Overview
Suborbital launch vehicle remote sensing sys- sport called “spacediving.”8 As Canadian Arrow
tems have been proposed as a method of “filling in” envisions it, future spacedivers could routinely take
the layer between satellites and aircraft. Such a 60-second suborbital flights, reach apogee, then
system is envisioned by TGV Rockets, as a “pop-up” proceed to jump out while wearing a counter pres-
capability giving military leaders a near real-time sure suit, and free fall to Earth from an altitude of
snapshot (perhaps even video for short periods) 64 kilometers (40 miles) or more. Today, reaching
of theater-wide operations. TGV plans to offer its an altitude of 37,000 meters (121,400 feet) to make
mobile platform launched MICHELLE B vehicle a high-altitude jump requires a balloon ride of
for this purpose.6 The challenge for suborbital many hours. An SRLV, on the other hand, could
systems is to be cost-competitive with other take spacedivers from the ground to this altitude in
aerial vehicles while offering unique services. minutes. This sport will likely start with jumps ini-
tially at lower altitude; with higher record-breaking
Space Diving jumps following as experience is gained.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the
Space diving could bring about new advances
U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force conducted
in spacesuit design. One anticipated development
manned parachute jumps from high altitude bal-
is the counter pressure suit. This type of suit uses
loons, prior to the first NASA Mercury astronaut
elastic material instead of gas pressure to protect
suborbital and orbital missions. Joe Kittinger of the
an astronaut from the vacuum of space.
United States Air Force, who successfully jumped
from an altitude of 31,300 meters (102,800 feet) in
A detailed market analysis on the demand for
1960, currently holds the world record for a human
space diving remains to be pursued. According to
high-altitude dive.7 During the 1960s, the National
Christchurch Parachute School in New Zealand,
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
researched orbital escape systems for astronauts.
“there are a growing number of people who are
Several “space parachutes” were designed featuring
trying skydiving in the search for the ultimate
maneuvering thrusters, conical drag skirts, inflat-
leisure activity. Consequently, the skydiving
able cones, and spray-on ablative shielding to
industry is experiencing rapid growth in the
protect a single astronaut during reentry. It was
adventure tourism market to cater for this need.
concluded that a self-contained ballistic recovery
This demand is creating a whole new industry
system could be designed to bring a stranded
for people to become involved in and creating
astronaut safely to the ground.
many new full-time positions not previously
considered as serious career options.”
Recently, there have been plans by some to
break Joe Kittinger’s 31-kilometer (19 miles) alti-
If leisure skydiving is increasing in popularity, it
tude record. Several teams from across the globe
stands to reason that a small but growing minority
are intent on jumping from altitudes of almost 45
will be interested in pushing the envelope ever
kilometers (28 miles). Some of the competitors are:
higher. Skydivers will make excellent suborbital
Cheryl Sterns, who will make an attempt from an
customers, as they understand safety procedures
undisclosed site in the western United States during
and systems. The adventurous few who have made
September 2005; Michel Fournier of France; and
high-altitude jumps will be familiar with oxygen
Rodd Millner of Australia. These jumps will be
systems and high-altitude survival.
conducted using stratospheric balloons. The balloon
is the limiting factor for the world record pursuers.
SRLV Long-Term Markets
The use of an SRLV, which is less reliant on atmos-
pheric conditions, will allow competitors to easily Fast Package Delivery
break any previously held altitude records using In a typical business as services become more
balloons as platforms. efficient, competition will become fiercer and cus-
tomers will demand more. Delivering packages is
The Canadian Arrow team, a competitor for
an excellent example of this phenomenon. Consider
the Ansari X Prize, is proposing a new extreme
that before 1973, when Federal Express began
Federal Aviation Administration/Office of Commercial Space Transportation 13You can also read
