A joint service team consisting of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate (AFRL/PR), the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAVAIR) achieved a signficant milestone on 28 September 2006 with an initial demonstration of responsive launch operations from the Navy's San Nicolas Island. Using an early prototype of the first stage for a reusable launch vehicle (RLV), the test focused on programmatic processes and issues that are considered to be critical factors to enabling responsive space lift with future launch systems. San Nicolas Island, which is situated off the coast of southern California and is a key element of NAVAIR's Sea Range, was chosen to host this test because it shares many of the same features relative to geography, facilities and logistics as other candidate launch sites that SMC is assessing as part of its Generic Approach to Launch Transformation (GALT) initiative.


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    Title :

    Air Force-Navy Team Achieves Important Flight Test Milestone for Responsive Space Lift


    Contributors:
    J. Garvey (author)

    Publication date :

    2006


    Size :

    11 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English