Lower Expectations: The prospects are “promising” that US providers of suborbital space launches can carve out a stable market niche, said Pamela Melroy, a former astronaut, who is currently a senior technical advisor in the FAA’s office of commercial space transportation. Speaking at AFA’s Air & Space Conference outside Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, Melroy said she sees a larger market for suborbital launches—beyond just space tourism—for purposes like education and scientific research. She thinks the suborbital market has the potential for $600 million to $1.6 billion in business over next 10 years. While the United States has lost its market share of commercial space launches for orbital missions due to more affordable offshore launch providers, she hopes that the same will not happen in the suborbital realm.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design the Air Force said.