5 thoughts on “DARPA’s Space Activities”

  1. I’ve never understood the need for the XS-1 program when SNC’s Dreamchaser sits on the ground. Why not modification of Dreamchaser to provide modest cargo capacity coupled with the ability to sit atop a reusable Falcon 9? Launch locations now available from KSC, VSC, and potentially Boca Chica TX and Kodiak AK. I’ve not looked closely at the numbers. What am I missing folks? Is it lack of a suitable upper stage for F9 that ULA A5 had in Centaur? Why not then put DARPA money into a suitable upper stage that could fly the DC on an F9? Wouldn’t that be a faster, cheaper way to get DARPA what it desires?

      1. “Why not then put DARPA money into a suitable upper stage that could fly the DC on an F9? Wouldn’t that be a faster, cheaper way to get DARPA what it desires?”

        and
        “it wasn’t clear at the time they initiated the program that there would be a reusable Falcon 9.”

        A secondary benefit of ALASA might just be sufficient confidence in the NOFBX propellants that, once Falcon9R is proven, a new second stage for it could drop enough mass, through simplified plumbing for monopropellants, that it could get the DreamChaser into orbit *and* be reusable.

        Hmmmmm! SNC just bought Orbitech, with its vortex-cooled engine tech. Aluminum chambers, with vortex cooling, burning a NOFBX combination, on an aerospike engine that can double as a re-entry heat shield, …would this provide SNC with a lighter cheaper recoverable second stage for Falcon9R?

        Using aerospike numbers no better than Firefly is looking to for their first stage, it would seem that this could work well. If SNC is already looking at a vortex-cooled chamber bid enough to replace those hybrids they no longer want for their launch abort engines, then they will already be looking at chamber sizes easily big enough for the chambers (up to 36?) of the aerospike.

        It may all depend on whether ALASA demos NOFBX series monopropellants safely.
        Hmmmm!

  2. I’d like to observe that, according to current plans, I will be attending Space Access and will discuss ALASA and other matters there at length.

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