Vector Space Systems Awarded $2.5M in NASA and DARPA ContractsContract will Enhance Company's Flight Test Program of the Vector-R Launch VehicleTUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vector Space Systems, a micro satellite space launch company comprised of new-space industry veterans from SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, McDonnell Douglas and Sea Launch, today announced that NASA has selected its Phase II proposal under the 2015 SBIR/STTR program to continue development of an advanced prototype of the upper stage for the Vector-R launch vehicle. The contract, proposed through Vector's acquired Garvey Spacecraft Corporation subsidiary, complements an earlier SBIR award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that addresses the use of the Vector-R first stage as a second stage for the XS-1 Experimental Spaceplane. In conjunction with the awarded contracts, totaling approximately $2.5M, Vector is investing in related infrastructure and range site preparations to enable high performance flight testing by the fourth quarter of 2017.Under this NASA Phase II STTR project, the Vector team is finishing the design and will then transition into assembly, integration and checkout of a full-scale prototype of the Vector-R upper stage engine. Vector will then integrate this stage with a prototype first stage engine, gained from a contract with DARPA, to create a fully functional two-stage flight test vehicle. The team members include academic partner University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Alaska Aerospace Corporation (AAC). The AAC hosted precursor ground operation pathfinder tests at its launch facility on Kodiak Island during Phase I that validated the feasibility of this site for the upcoming high performance mission.
Vector added a few new pictures to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/vectorlaunchinc/posts/292045997833009
The launch cadence stuff is probably the least of their worries. It's not like they'll have customers with a cool couple million dollars walking up with payloads every week for a foreseeable future anyway.A bit more questionable is .. here we have a small team, with all the relevant experience, and maybe a good shot of getting financed well enough to actually make to orbit - and of course hence the noise as well, for raising awareness and through that finding the right talent and funds.However, before anything substantial has yet happened we are looking at no less than five rocket configurations with a bit of electric propulsion technology pivot thrown in, just to make sure everything is in laser focus...
TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vector Space Systems, a micro satellite space launch company comprised of new-space industry veterans from SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, McDonnell Douglas and Sea Launch, today finalized an agreement with York Space Systems, an aerospace company specializing in small and medium class spacecraft, to conduct six satellite launches from 2019 through 2022 with the option for 14 additional launches. The first launch through the agreement will also be the inaugural launch of the Vector-H vehicle, which is capable of launching 100 kg into orbit, and will provide an integrated spacecraft to customers through a standardized platform.
Vector have just published the Vector-R and -H user guides, attached.