Masten Releases Artist’s Conception of XS-1 Vehicle
XS-1 concept vehicle (Credit: Masten Space Systems)
MOJAVE, CA, July 23, 2014 (Masten PR) — Masten Space Systems, Inc. (Masten) announced today that the company has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of Phase 1 of the Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program to develop a reusable launch vehicle.
Over the last decade, Masten has built three highly operable, vertical takeoff/vertical landing, reusable rockets which are flown by small teams of five to seven people. Masten’s experience with vertical takeoff/vertical landing rockets has shown that the company’s flight vehicles can offer greater flexibility than reusable launch vehicles that require runways to land. Masten has logged well over 300 flights to date with its Xoie, Xombie and Xaero reusable rockets.
The goals of the XS-1 program include designing and building a rocket capable of flying 10 times in 10 days, lifting payloads greater than 3,000 pounds to low Earth orbit, and dramatically lowering the cost of launch. Masten’s team intends to utilize the first year of the XS-1 program to demonstrate critical technologies and refine the preliminary design of its “Xephyr” launch vehicle.
Phase 1 of the XS-1 program is scheduled to last 13 months, with vehicle construction and flight demonstration envisioned for subsequent phases. In Phase 2, DARPA plans to select one of its XS-1 partners to build its launch vehicle for eventual transition to future commercial or military operations.
“XS-1 comes at the right time for the industry and the right time for Masten,” said Masten CEO Sean Mahoney. “The tide is turning and space access is opening up. We’re thrilled to lead a team to tackle the hard problems DARPA has put in front of us.”
Company founder and CTO David Masten said, “It’s time. Our team is ready. We’ve been working towards this for years. XS-1 is a great program to join with our vertical landing technology.”
“The vision here is to break the cycle of escalating space system costs and enable routine space access and hypersonic vehicles,” said Dennis Poulos, Masten’s XS-1 program manager. “The XS-1 program represents a return to the bold aerospace projects of decades past, when engineers from various government agencies came together to push the spaceflight envelope.”
5 responses to “Masten Releases Artist’s Conception of XS-1 Vehicle”
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They talk about VTVL, but the picture looks VTHL. I guess it might be possible to hide legs around the engine area, but I’m kind of surprised by the mismatch between what they talk about and what the picture seems to show.
~Jon
Agreed. And where do they hide the second stage?, or does this artist’s concept suggest SSTO?.
Hi Jonathan – The program is for a reusable fly-back booster that launches an expendable upper stage. Masten is actually teamed with XCOR Aerospace, which has done considerable innovative rocket engine work and is also building a spaceplane that will take passengers and experimenters up on suborbital flights. Although Masten’s logo is on the artist’s concept, it’s not immediately clear what the division of labor will be. There are two other two-company teams. http://www.satnews.com/stor…
Greg,
I’m familiar with most of that (having been on the founding team for Masten). I was mostly just surprised at the wings because Dave had always bee pretty dismissive of wings. Little lifting body-ish winglets or “fings” were sometimes entertained, but actual wings like this were something he usually steered clear of.
And while it’s true we don’t know the exact division of labor, Masten is the prime contractor. XCOR submitted its own proposal with itself as a prime which wasn’t selected for award.
Dave did a clarifying tweet early today to mention that optimization since the proposal time made the wings go back away.
~Jon
Excellent! I’m glad there will be a wing-less entrant to the XS-1 competition!