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.)
A legislative standoff has led to a lapse in a $4.26 billion small business innovation contracting program widely used by the Air Force and could spell the end of it entirely, industry sources warned Air & Space Forces Magazine.
