Spaceport America Signs Launch & Drone Deal With ARCA Space
SPACEPORT AMERICA, NM, September 1, 2015 (NMSA PR) – Spaceport America – the world’s first purpose-built, commercial spaceport announced today ARCA Space Corporation has selected Spaceport America as the site for its space launch vehicle and high altitude autonomous aircraft testing.
ARCA Space Corporation was founded in the United States in July 2014 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ARCA will engineer, manufacture, test and bring to market innovative and affordable aerospace products such as the AirStrato UAS and Haas rocket series from its new global headquarters.
ARCA was originally established in 1999 as a non-profit organization in Romania in the European Union and quickly became known for its innovative developments within private space flight. In 2004, as part of the Ansari X Prize Competition, ARCA successfully launched its first rocket – Demonstrator 2B – followed by a number of additional space launch milestones.
Spaceport America’s facilities and access to protected airspace offer unique opportunities for test flights and experimental operations that complement the capabilities of Las Cruces International Airport and New Mexico State University’s Physical Sciences Laboratory UAS Flight Test Center, together enabling ARCA Space Corporation to leverage the full suite of aerospace capabilities offered by southern New Mexico.
“Only in New Mexico did we find the perfect combination of aerospace assets, airspace and affordability,” emphasized Dumitru Popescu, Founder and CEO of ARCA Space Corporation. “Proximity to Spaceport America and the expansive access to airspace were crucial factors in our decision to locate our global headquarters to Las Cruces, New Mexico in the United States.”
Beginning later this year, ARCA Space Corporation expects to be operating autonomous aircraft testing activities at Spaceport America with space launch activity beginning in 2016.
“We look forward to our partnership with ARCA Space Corporation as the first of many hybrid air and space operators,” said Christine Anderson, CEO, Spaceport America. “ARCA Space Corporation is a perfect example of how New Mexico’s space nexus can be leveraged to help aerospace companies commercialize their technology while creating economic growth for our state.”
About Spaceport America
Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. The FAA licensed launch complex, situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, boasts 6,000 square miles of protected airspace, low population density, a 12,000-foot spaceway and 340+ days of sunshine and low humidity. The two most respected companies in the commercial space industry are now tenants at Spaceport America; Virgin Galactic and SpaceX. For more information: https://spaceportamerica.com/press-center/ and follow us on Twitter: @Spaceport_NM
About ARCA Space Corporation
ARCA SPACE believes that the future of mankind is inseparably linked to the exploration of space. From its global headquarters based in the USA, ARCA Space Corporation engineers, manufactures and launches some of the most cost effective space vehicles on the market today. By leveraging existing technology in an innovative and affordable way, ARCA is helping to make access to space possible for everyone. For more information: https://www.arcaspace.com/ and follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arcaspace
13 responses to “Spaceport America Signs Launch & Drone Deal With ARCA Space”
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I read numerous articles on ARCA (Association of Romanian Cosmonautics and
Aeronautics- now ARCA Space Corporation), and some of the Romanian stories raise serious concerns about ARCA and its product’s technical capability.
The Department of Economic Development of New Mexico will contribute $
500,000 to build the new hangar and production space of 14,000 sq. ft. The initial City LEDA support for locating in Las Cruces is approximately $60,000, and includes waiver of first year rent at the 8960 Zia Blvd. facility for office and showroom space, and assistance in the first year’s rent of an assembly facility at the airport. The state will provide assistance for future expansion. ARCA will add 100 jobs in the process. $ 1.2 million was allocated for investment to start the business.
ARCA was heavily criticized by the Romanian Space Agency by its Director, Marius Ioan Piso. Piso called ARCA as “amateur Advertisers ‘and that”s kind of what they do bungee jumping there for 40 kilometers”.
Maybe ARCA will prove the skeptics wrong. This would be good for New Mexico. Here is their website:
http://www.arcaspace.com/
Here is Romania’s wikipedia on ARCA – Interesting
https://translate.google.co…
Here are critical articles. See comments!
https://translate.google.co…
https://translate.googleuse…
Doug – if you have time, I hope you will check on ARCA.
There are only four employees – PR type people:
https://www.linkedin.com/vs…
ARCA wanted to go to the moon in 2014.
https://translate.google.co…
https://translate.google.co…
ARCA vs Romanian Space
Agency (ROSA)
“On the other hand, Marius-Ioan Piso, President of the Romanian Space
Agency (ROSA) said that ARCA does “circus” after losing a competition
for projects, which were judged by international experts. According to Piso, ARCA seeks by this action to make their DNA “advertising”.
“Out of 120 projects they were ranked 110-115 and from there went circus. Loser always has problems.
But here it is about the whole research system in Romania, there is no
golden rule, evaluations were made by foreign experts in this system are
many entities involved (…) they (ARCA, no), actually did not really
there . I am an NGO that actually lives advertising, “said Marius-Ioan Piso Mediafax.
Regarding ISS, would have received most funding under the STAR,
Marius-Ioan Piso said that it is “an institute of fundamental research”,
which has the best performance in the country and is known abroad.
“I am a founding member. ISS was established at our request in 1990 from the very beginning. Romanian Space Agency, as well. I do not think the question of any conflict of interest.
ISS is an institute of fundamental research, which not coincidentally
has perhaps the best performance in the country and is an institute well
known in the world and me and my position and all relationships and
stuff are perfectly transparent, known to everyone, and scientific and
administrative “said Piso.
According to him, ISS made the first space experiments Romania in the
70s “Since then, a steady tradition, participated in more than 40 space
missions (…) are involved in some very prestigious space missions, the
mission Planck in which resulted mapped universe Euclid mission, which
begins now and will study the universe in all details etc., “said Piso.
He stressed that the action filed by ARCA DNA is “a series of attacks” on ROSA ARCA.
“They are an organization that lives absolutely in advertising, her ten
years ago,” sending “a man in space, they wrote to everyone that
Romania will be the fourth country to send people into space and slowly
so … They managed to do, but this ad formidable creates such
situations.
This organization is headed by a person skilled theologian, so … We
work with engineers, with doctors, with academics, plus it does not
really do us any problems.
The problem is that this advertising is created, “said Marius-Ioan
Piso, stating that Rosa has the resources to enter” the game
communicated “that makes ARCA.”
The only thing we ever got from ARCA were mockups and PowerPoint. Who the hell gives money to people who have never built anything? Xcor started by building small RCS type thrusters and painfe moves forward. ARCA built nothing!
Even what they do they do painfully slowly. As reported on this very site, ARCA was already ‘in talks’ with Spaceport America for flights over three years ago;
http://www.parabolicarc.com…
The one question that comes to mind is ITAR. I wonder if simple incorporation in the United States will be enough to avoid ITAR issues if the core staff consists of foreign nationals. I expect a “firewall” be needed between the foreign nationals and any U.S. workers they hire. It will be interesting to see how they address it.
But that stated, this is exactly the type of use the site was selected for originally and what gives it an advantage over other locations that do not have the same level of secured airspace for flight test and development activities.
I will never let ARCA and Popescu to live down the Stabilo. That design demonstrated to the whole world that ARCA’s technical minds had no clue about rockets whatsoever. It was perhaps forgivable when Goddard did it, but not now.
Here is a 2013 interview with Dumitru Popescu, CEO of ARCA.
http://www.explorersweb.com…
Spaceport America is great for launching something but not so great for employees that work for those companies-who wants to drive 60-70 miles each way to work and I am sure the start ups aren’t paying enough to make the relocation/drive worth it.
From 2004 to the present, ARCA MEDIA has produced the following
videos. There is hardly any substance to the videos. You do not see any
product in production or demonstrated – just poor prototypes. ARCA MEDIA
only produces animated videos of future products. This is not included
in these videos. I am very concerned about New Mexico’s big investment
in this former Romanian private company. Some of the videos are
laughable. Was there due diligence done on this so-called drone
manufacturer?
ARCA Short History
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Stabilo and Helen, engine test, Video 1, 2009
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Helen rocket loaded onboard Navy ship
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
2010 ARCA Team Interview | Google Lunar XPRIZE
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
New ARCA facility for Haas 2C and Excelsior rocket plane, under construction, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
A new milling machine was purchased by ARCA, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
IAR-111 Excelsior rocket-plane capsule molds casting, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
IAR-111 Excelsior cockpit airframe completion, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Excelsior rocket plane cockpit, drop test, Mission 6, Video 2, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Excelsior rocket plane, cockpit airframe, 2011https://www.youtube.com…
Stabilo capsule launch, Mission 1, 2006
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Haas 2C orbital rocket, first public display, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
These are a few animated videos of ARCA’s prototypes. This company is
sure good in doing videos. However it has manufactured nothing.
E 111 CGI, 2010
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Helen rocket, Mission 4, CGI, 2010
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
ARCA HAAS flight sequence
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
This was on the Internet. “Is AirStrato, made by ARCA Space Corp, a serious giant electric plane or just a scam?” It is a pretty severe indictment of ARCA Space Corporation.
http://www.rcgroups.com/for…
ARCA Space Corporation has not manufacture a single tested AirStrato
drone. Yet you can pre-order one for $140,000. Since New Mexico is
already shelling out over a million dollars to this untested enterprise,
maybe they can buy 6 or 7 drones! Here is the order form. Has anyone
checked out this company’s viability?
http://airstrato.com/en/Pre…