The X-60A vehicle is an air-dropped liquid rocket specifically designed for #hypersonic flight research. The program has completed its Critical Design Review, a major milestone in the program. It will now move into the fabrication phase. @generationorbit https://t.co/80kAPFgsLt pic.twitter.com/CGJi54tHPF

— Air Force Research Lab – AFRL (@AFResearchLab) March 6, 2019

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL PR) – The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Aerospace Systems Directorate, High Speed Systems Division, in partnership with Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc., is developing the X-60A vehicle. It is an air-dropped liquid rocket specifically designed for hypersonic flight research.

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GOLauncherOne hypersonic vehixcle. (Credit: Generation Orbit)

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (USAF PR) – The Air Force has designated the GOLauncher1 (GO1) hypersonic flight research vehicle as X-60A.  The vehicle is being developed by Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Aerospace Systems Directorate, High Speed Systems Division.

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Video Caption: Hot fire testing of the GO1 Engineering Development Unit at Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, FL completed on Wednesday 20 June 2018. GO1 to be an affordable and flexible hypersonic testbed to flight test a wide range of hypersonic vehicle technologies. Building up a series of cold flows and engine development tests, this hot fire test demonstrated integration of the engine with flight like propellant tanks, valves, pressurization system, […]

ATLANTA (GO PR)  — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) has completed an initial integrated engine firing of a full-scale, functional prototype of the GOLauncher1 (GO1) hypersonic flight test booster. Under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate, High Speed Systems Division (AFRL/RQH), GO is developing GO1 to be an affordable and flexible hypersonic testbed to flight test a wide range of hypersonic vehicle technologies.

The test was the first of its kind to be conducted at Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, FL. This is also GO’s first test campaign to include Ursa Major Technologies’ “Hadley” liquid rocket engine. The 5,000 lbf-class oxygen-rich staged combustion engine performed as expected through the tests.

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C-20a with the GO1-ITA mounted beneath it. (Credit: Generation Orbit)

ATLANTA, January 8, 2018 (GO PR) – Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) has completed the GO1 Inert Test Article captive carry flight test program. Under a public-private partnership with NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, GO developed the GO1-ITA, a mass properties and outer mold line simulator for the GO1 hypersonic flight testbed and earned NASA airworthiness approval for flight on NASA’s C-20a.
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NASA has released a document listing the 1,206 active Space Act Agreements  (SAAs) the agency has with commercial companies, non-profit organizations and state and local governments.

From that list, I’ve extracted agreements with individual companies. Below you will find tables listing SAAs that NASA has signed with Virgin Group companies, Moon Express and NanoRacks. There is also a fourth table that has SAAs with a number of companies and organizations that we follow on Parabolic Arc.

SAAs come in three varieties: reimburseable, non-reimburseable and funded. Under reimburseable agreements, a company or organization will pay NASA for its services. No money exchanges hands under non-reimburseable agrements. And under funded agreements, NASA pays the company to perform work or provide services. (The space agency made substantial use of SAA’s in the Commercial Crew Program.)

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Credit: Generation Orbit

ATLANTA, April 7, 2017 (GO PR) – Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) is pleased to announce the award of a Follow-On Phase II SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate, High Speed Systems Division (AFRL/RQH) for development and flight testing of the GOLauncher 1 (GO1).

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Anthony J. Piplica (Credit: Generation Orbit)

ATLANTA, December 13, 2016 (GO PR) – Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) today announced that Mr. Anthony J. Piplica will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2017.

Mr. Piplica has served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2013. Mr. Piplica joined the Generation Orbit team in 2012, quickly rising to the position of COO. Within that capacity, he has been instrumental in managing the company’s growth and technical activities. Piplica has served as GO’s primary interface for its network of partners and suppliers, as well as key Air Force, NASA, and commercial customers.

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Credit: Generation Orbit

ATLANTA, October 27, 2016 (GO PR) – Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) is pleased to announce the award of a SBIR Phase II Extension from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate, High Speed Systems Division (AFRL/RQHV) to enable wind tunnel and integrated hot fire testing of the GO1 hypersonic testbed.

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ATLANTA, June 22, 2016 (GO PR) – Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) is pleased to announce the successful completion of Preliminary Design Review for the GO1 hypersonic and suborbital testbed. The milestone marks the completion of two design cycles for the system over the course of six months, as well as the transition to detailed design and prototyping activities. These activities include a full-scale engineering development unit for integration, ground […]