Technology Maturation and Flight Validation for Air Launched Liquid Rockets

Completed TRL 6 (started at 4, targeting 6)

Description

Generation Orbit’s (GO) partnership with AFRC involved a flight test campaign for the company’s GOLauncher 1 Inert Test Article (GO1-ITA), a mass properties and aerodynamics simulator. Researchers plan to launch GOLauncher 1—a single-stage liquid rocket—from a Gulfstream III, which is capable of delivering payloads of up to 1,000 pounds on high-altitude suborbital and suppressed hypersonic trajectories. In FY2017 the company delivered the GO1-ITA to AFRC, where it underwent ground and telemetry testing and preparation for integration with the Gulfstream aircraft. In December 2017, AFRC successfully completed a series of flight tests simulating abort release of the ITA. The flights validated GO’s simulation models and exercised its concept of operations. The flights also validated AFRC’s engineering analysis of computational fluid dynamics and aircraft flutter and control.

Benefits

This will resolve significant technical challenges with air launch of liquid rockets including characterization of the captive carry and release environments, as well as verification of air launch operations. These solicitations increase focus on collaborations with the commercial space sector that not only leverage emerging markets and capabilities to meet NASA's strategic goals, but also focus on industry needs. NASA's investments in industry partnerships can accelerate the availability of, and reduce costs for the development and infusion of, these emerging space system capabilities. While developing the technology to enable NASA's next generation of science and human exploration missions, we will grow the economy and strengthen the nation's economic competitiveness.

Details

Program	Flight Opportunities (FO)
Lead organization	Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc., Atlanta, GA
Start date	2015-11-01
End date	2018-04-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Aj Piplica
John M Carter — john.m.carter-1@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.