Aevum Wins USAF Contract to Explore Autonomous Launch Capabilities for Responsive Launch and Space Logistics
Huntsville, Alabama – The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has awarded Aevum a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract for its fully autonomous launch and space logistics service. Aevum’s unique platform can launch small satellites with response times as low as 180-minutes, measured from mission conceptualization to orbital insertion to data downlink, to any low Earth orbit.
The USAF awarded Aevum under a special USAF SBIR topic developed, in partnership with Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) – formerly MD5, and USAF AFWERX, to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and transition rate of the SBIR program.
Under this contract, Aevum will move quickly to find an Air Force transition partner for its autonomous launch system to provide strategic responsive launch capabilities to the USAF for global persistent awareness.
Aevum has made rapid progress in bringing its autonomous launch architecture to full service. Autonomous launch is a brand-new type of access to space conceived by Aevum. It requires an advanced logistics network comprised of launch sites, launch support assets, ground stations, fully autonomous launch vehicles, cloud technologies, and software. This global network is fully controlled and commanded by Aevum’s advanced mission management technology.
“Consideration of the logistics, launch vehicles, ground operations, integration, and mission management as a single product is paramount for rapid access to space. Autonomous launch is a system of systems, interweaved with cutting edge technology and software. The market is littered with launch vehicles and subsystems. Customers want a single end to end solution to get hardware into space that is responsive and reliable. Aevum is it.” said Jay Skylus, Founder and CEO of Aevum. “We’re honored by this opportunity to support the U.S. Air Force and are fully prepared to deliver a solution that meets their needs. The sole source eligibility of Aevum is a big deal. It’s a unique opportunity that not many companies get.”
The first in Aevum’s autonomous launch vehicle lineup is Ravn X. Ravn X is a reusable, three-stage launch vehicle – the only reusable, small launch vehicle poised to service small payloads. The first stage is a fully autonomous unmanned aerial system (UAS) powered by afterburning turbojet engines. The second and third stages are liquid rocket stages powered by staged-combustion liquid engines utilizing Jet A and liquid oxygen. To date, Aevum has completed the ground qualification of all major subsystems of Ravn X. All Ravn X propulsion systems, both airbreathing and rocket-based, have been hot-fired full scale and beyond full duration of expected mission times of orbital Ravn X launches. Ravn X has the performance to deliver at least 100 kg to 500 km, sun-synchronous orbit. A larger and faster launch vehicle is in the pipeline that will enter service after Ravn X.
In addition to this contract, Aevum has been evaluated favorably by other agencies of the Department of Defense (DOD) and has been garnering interest from the intelligence community (IC). In July, Aevum was selected as one of the top five small launch companies by Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in its Tactical Launch Effort (TACTILE) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) – a multi-million dollar opportunity. At the time of this press release, Aevum remains eligible to formally move into Phase III of TACTILE with DIU, but is currently in a 120 day hold due to a limitation in Government resources.
“It has been a pleasure to work with DIU. The DIU team is professional, innovative, and high energy. Aevum looks forward to supporting DIU in the future.” said Skylus.
SBIR program is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. The mission of the SBIR program is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy.
Aevum, Inc. provides comprehensive space logistics services, including launch services, to enable customers to deploy small payloads in low Earth orbit reliably. The core business of Aevum is the accurate, express delivery of space payloads to any orbital destinations up to 2,000 km.
8 responses to “Aevum Wins USAF Contract to Explore Autonomous Launch Capabilities for Responsive Launch and Space Logistics”
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There was someone that kept asking. Why not use jet engines for the 1st stage. I replied that they were too heavy. Wrong. These people have found a way to use them. It should be cheaper than using an airliner or other jet. I guess no cockpit or crew will save weight and save money since they don’t have to pay crew to fly. They could do that with the 747. Remote control, they can fly themselves by computer. Just put in the route. No crew is cheaper. Got to have back up though. And they fly it back and land. It has turbojets with AFB it looks like. I guess air is cheaper than LOX is the only way they save money. Surplus F4 engines ought to be cheap. The rest costs the same as using rocket engines. They are much lighter and you get better power to weight though so carry a larger load for the same air-frame. A liquid engine is expensive to start from scratch. So, it might work. If they can get customers. Rocket engines might need more checking and not make the 3 hrs. I read they make a lot of moisture and they have to wait to dry them out. Jet engines have no trouble with moisture. This may be the reason why USAF wants to use them.
This is yet another variation on Stratolaunch, only it’s arguably more complex because it’s using “afterburning turbojet engines”. Of course, with the USAF as the customer, “afterburning turbojet engines” may look like a feature to them instead of a bug.
At any rate, when step 1 of your “cheap” launch plan is to build a large, complex, one off, aircraft, the goal of “cheap” won’t be achieved, IMHO.
It is a sexy looking beast, though.
The military may find a use for this–if not Stratolaunch
We don’t know how big the aircraft is as the illo has nothing by which to judge scale and the payload capacity is only 100 kg. Also, it’s a UAV. Prototypes of UAV combat aircraft have typically been quite a bit smaller than their manned counterparts. With no people aboard there are a lot of subsystems needed by manned aircraft that don’t have to be included. The flight profile can also be designed without reference to human physiological limits.
I’m going to keep an eye on these guys.
Everything you say is true.
But, my issues with the concept are still largely the same as with Stratolaunch. One off aircraft aren’t typically easy to design, build, and test. This is because cost generally scales more closely with complexity than size. Still, this approach may be workable for smallish launches, which might be just the thing to meet the Air Force requirements.
Someone should ask Boom Aerospace if the first stage can really be developed on a small budget. Given that a much less ambitious project in the form of Generation Orbit failed to make real headway with even subsonic launch from existing biz jets I have serious doubts about this program. The USAF money would be better spent on paying SpaceX to keep a ‘buffer’ Falcon in the queue and pay for a demo responsive space launch campaign.
DARPA I think it is, is building a quick response rocket spaceplane. NASA gave them an engine. But they chose Boeing. We will see how that goes. That is where I got the wet engine and wait to dry. Jet engines do not have this problem. Too slow a response for USAF.
Develop an plane, and an rocket. Instead of hiring just rocket engineers, you have to hire and aircraft guys too…. + AI people to to the autonomous thing… Great biz plan there. 😛