There are two Air Force Research lab people at Kirtland AFB, N.M., whose task is to advance “multiple methods” to design, develop, and produce low-cost rockets. Officials say that the Launch Vehicle Technology program has “fueled” many efforts, some dating back more than 10 years, such as a Microcosm Inc. rocket called Scorpius. Some of these projects have led to cheaper and safer propellants and subsystems. The LTV crew currently is working new projects with Microscosm, Wickman Spacecraft & Propulsion, and KT Engineering. (Read more here.)
The Sentinel Launch Support System, the digital backbone for testing the new intercontinental ballistic missile over its expected 50-year life, has completed critical design review, Northrop Grumman said Oct. 20.