|
Stratolaunch Systems, a subsidiary of Vulcan Aerospace, is a space transportation venture developing a new air launch to orbit system, with its corporate headquarters located in Seattle, Washington.〔http://spacenews.com/paul-allens-vulcan-aerospace-ready-to-stretch-its-wings/〕 The project was begun in 2010 and officially announced in December 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan, who had previously collaborated on the creation of SpaceShipOne.〔http://www.universetoday.com/91737/revolutionary-air-launched-commercial-rocket-to-orbit-announced-by-microsoft-billionaire-paul-allen/〕 In 2015 Stratolaunch Systems was placed under the supervision of Paul Allen's new company Vulcan Aerospace, a subsidiary of Vulcan, Inc. The project is a mobile launch system with three primary components; a carrier aircraft being built by Scaled Composites, a multi-stage payload "launch vehicle" which would be launched at high altitude into space from under the carrier aircraft, plus a mating and integration system by Dynetics.〔http://www.huntsvillenewswire.com/2011/12/13/dynetics-build-major-system-space-launch-vehicle/〕 2015 press releases from Stratolaunch Systems have targeted a first test flight for 2016.〔http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3184219/World-s-biggest-plane-launch-2016-Designers-reveal-megaplane-send-astronauts-orbit-using-mini-shuttle.html〕 ==History== The project was started almost a year before the public announcement was made. Development costs were initially projected to be US $300 million in 2011.〔http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1994/1〕 Dynetics actually began work in early 2010 and had approximately 40 employees working on the project . Dynetics was cited as "responsible for the total systems engineering, integration and testing, which includes aerodynamics, loads, and interfaces." It was announced the SpaceX corporation was also already working on the design for the rocket-powered space vehicle components of the system. The collaboration with SpaceX had ended by 2012. In a 2015 interview, Chuck Beames (President of Vulcan Aerospace and now supervisor of Stratolaunch Systems) explained, "SpaceX was a partner, and like a lot of partnerships, it was just determined that it was best we went our separate ways – different ambitions. We were interested in their engines, but Elon and his team, they’re about going to Mars, and we’re just in a different place, and so I think it was a parting of the ways that was amicable."〔http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/commercial/update-vulcan-aerospace-stratolaunch/〕 Stratolaunch Systems completed its first 88,000 sq. ft. composites production building in October 2012. In February 2013, the company completed construction of its 92,640 sq. ft. carrier assembly hangar and operations facilities at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The carrier aircraft was originally projected to make its first test flight in 2015. By October 2013, the first flight of the carrier aircraft had been pushed back until 2016, with the first flight of the air-launched rocket expected in 2018.〔http://aviationweek.com/blog/stratolaunch-quietly-making-progress〕 In 2014, Stratolaunch announced that it was considering multiple launch vehicle options over a range of satellite sizes, and that some development work on the Orbital launch vehicle has been slowed down to focus on completion of the carrier aircraft. In 2015 Stratolaunch Systems was placed under the supervision of Paul Allen's new company Vulcan Aerospace,〔〔http://www.bizapedia.com/wa/VULCAN-AEROSPACE-CORPORATION.html〕 a subsidiary of Vulcan, Inc. Vulcan Aerospace president Chuck Beames stated, "Vulcan Aerospace is the company within Vulcan that plans and executes projects to shift how the world conceptualizes space travel through cost reduction and on‐demand access. Vulcan Aerospace has its heritage in SpaceShipOne and oversees the Stratolaunch Systems project"〔http://www.space.com/29117-vulcan-aerospace-paul-allen-private-spaceflight.html〕 Later in the year, in November, Gary Wentz "stepped down as president and CEO of Stratolaunch Systems to join United Launch Alliance to lead human launch services" for ULA. Vulcan ended its contract with Orbital ATK in mid-2015 and indicated that a decision on a new rocket for the Stratolaunch Carrier Aircraft would be made in late 2015.〔(Stratolaunch’s Plans Up in the Air ), Jeff Foust, SpaceNews, 18 November 2015, accessed 28 November 2015.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Stratolaunch Systems」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|