DARPA Launch Challenge Anywhere. Anytime. The DARPA Launch Challenge aims to demonstrate flexible and responsive launch capabilities in days, not years, for our nation’s defense WHY A CHALLENGE? Our nation’s space architecture is built around a limited number of exquisite systems. Typical developments span up to 10 years to build, test, and launch spacecraft.DARPA wants to demonstrate the ability to launch payloads to orbit on extremely short notice, with no prior knowledge of the payload, destination orbit or launch site, and do it not just once, but twice, in a matter of days.The commercial industry has embraced advances in manufacturing, microtechnologies, and autonomous launch/range infrastructure, and DARPA seeks to leverage this expertise to transform space system development.WHAT IS RESPONSIVE LAUNCH? The launch environment of the future will more closely resemble airline operations — with frequent launches from myriad locations worldwide. DARPA seeks to accelerate capabilities that are unconstrained to allow for flexibility and resilience, rather than one-of-a-kind, fixed infrastructure. Challenge Teams will be receive days' notice to first launch site. After successfully delivering their payload to low Earth orbit (LEO), teams will get information about the second launch site. Teams again will be given days to successfully deliver their second payload to LEO. ...
Who would possible be participants in this challenge? I would think Vector, Virgin Orbit and that’s about it. Will anyone else have this type of capability (i.e. launch on demand from various sites,) in the near term?
Quote from: Markstark on 04/19/2018 04:37 pmWho would possible be participants in this challenge? I would think Vector, Virgin Orbit and that’s about it. Will anyone else have this type of capability (i.e. launch on demand from various sites,) in the near term?Rocket Crafters, with their Intrepid launch vehicle. Stealth Space, aka Astra Space, with the mysterious Astra rocket. Firefly Aerospace, with Firefly Alpha. Vector, with Vector-R or Vector-H.Virgin Orbit, with LauncherOneRocket Lab, with its Electron rocket, could use this as an excuse to get its US launch sites established. Orbital ATK, with the Pegasus, or Minotaur I, IV, or C.
Quote from: whitelancer64 on 04/19/2018 04:51 pmQuote from: Markstark on 04/19/2018 04:37 pmWho would possible be participants in this challenge? I would think Vector, Virgin Orbit and that’s about it. Will anyone else have this type of capability (i.e. launch on demand from various sites,) in the near term?Rocket Crafters, with their Intrepid launch vehicle. Stealth Space, aka Astra Space, with the mysterious Astra rocket. Firefly Aerospace, with Firefly Alpha. Vector, with Vector-R or Vector-H.Virgin Orbit, with LauncherOneRocket Lab, with its Electron rocket, could use this as an excuse to get its US launch sites established. Orbital ATK, with the Pegasus, or Minotaur I, IV, or C.Would the “no prior knowledge of the.... launch site” part exclude the companies that require substantial fixed infrastructure such as Rocket Lab? Thanks for the reply btw.
Quote from: Markstark on 04/19/2018 05:02 pmQuote from: whitelancer64 on 04/19/2018 04:51 pmQuote from: Markstark on 04/19/2018 04:37 pmWho would possible be participants in this challenge? I would think Vector, Virgin Orbit and that’s about it. Will anyone else have this type of capability (i.e. launch on demand from various sites,) in the near term?Rocket Crafters, with their Intrepid launch vehicle. Stealth Space, aka Astra Space, with the mysterious Astra rocket. Firefly Aerospace, with Firefly Alpha. Vector, with Vector-R or Vector-H.Virgin Orbit, with LauncherOneRocket Lab, with its Electron rocket, could use this as an excuse to get its US launch sites established. Orbital ATK, with the Pegasus, or Minotaur I, IV, or C.Would the “no prior knowledge of the.... launch site” part exclude the companies that require substantial fixed infrastructure such as Rocket Lab? Thanks for the reply btw.No, it just means they don't know what launch site they will need to use until less than a month before the launch. So their launch sites would need to be built and ready to go well before the end of 2019.
Peter Beck has commented based on his experiences, however, that "if anyone is thinking about building own pad, I advise against it." So perhaps Rocket Lab would not be so enthusiastic about building new launch sites.
http://www.darpalaunchchallenge.org/default.aspx#challenge
Vector is targeting for a launch cost of about $3 million for its larger Vector-H rocket. Winning first place would net it about $6 million.
I must say, this seems absurd to me. Actually, it looks like cheap camouflage to hide some other goal, e.g. a baked in award to a favored vendor.
Quote from: RDoc on 04/20/2018 02:50 amI must say, this seems absurd to me. Actually, it looks like cheap camouflage to hide some other goal, e.g. a baked in award to a favored vendor.Aptly put. Agreed.
So you can rule out ABL, Relativity, maybe Firefly - they probably won't be ready. Also none of the overseas guys like Expace, Orbex, Gilmour have a shot, too complex / not allowed to bring their gear to the USA.
So that leaves only Rocket Lab, Virgin Orbit and maybe Vector and Astra at a pinch, but I would say that is an outside chance based on recent performance. Of that group I would guess only Rocket Lab and Virgin have a real shot, but they have bigger fish to fry in that time frame, and Rocket Lab has little to prove. Vector and Astra would seem like the clear candidates with something to gain (if they can get anything into space by then).Orbital ATK wouldn't bother - it would cost them more to do a single launch than they would gain from the prize.
Quote from: ringsider on 04/20/2018 05:57 amSo you can rule out ABL, Relativity, maybe Firefly - they probably won't be ready. Also none of the overseas guys like Expace, Orbex, Gilmour have a shot, too complex / not allowed to bring their gear to the USA.They'd be allowed to bring their gear to the US.It's taking it home again (or ITAR contaminating their IPR and stopping them launching whoever they want) that's the problem afterward.