Andrews continues to develop responsive launch architectures. As part of its ORS focus, Andrews has been awarded many NASA and DOD-funded hardware development efforts and concept design studies, as detailed below. These include advanced air collection technologies (ACES) that enable reusable horizontal takeoff and landing (HTHL) vehicles and a reusable composite liquid oxygen tank.

Fully Reusable Access to Space Technology (FAST)
The Fully Reusable Access to Space Technology (FAST) Program Design (PD) effort was a three-month contract to assist with the review of the FAST Point of Departure vehicle, assess its strengths and weaknesses, and assist with the design of the requirements for the follow-on experiments. The FAST Pathfinder is a hardware development and demonstration experiment to create an integrated composite tank and load-bearing structure. The experiment demonstrated enabling technologies and reduce program risk to support the early development of a FAST Airframe experiment. The FAST Pathfinder activity is funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Dayton, OH.

Gryphon Aerospaceplane
Andrews developed the Gryphon RLV architecture, using the Alchemist ACES technology, which eliminated oxidizer propellant weight at takeoff (roughly half the total weight of the spacecraft) by generating Liquid Oxygen (LOX) from the atmosphere while flying at subsonic speeds. Gryphon integrates an airplane-like first stage with a variety of different upper stages to provide a wide range of space launch options. With HTHL, Gryphon can dramatically enhance safety, increase craft flexibility, and reduce operations cost and risk.

Initial Gryphon design work was funded by NASA under the Space Launch Initiative and the Next Generation Launch Technology program's Systems Analysis Project. In 2005, DARPA funded demonstration testing of the ACES technology.

Andrews featured our Gryphon Aerospaceplane in our video marking 100 years of powered flight and focusing on the promise of the future.

Gryphon Flight Operations Animation - 100 Years of Flight
Andrews featured our Gryphon Aerospaceplane in marking 100 years of powered flight and focusing on the promise of the future.

Quicktime (20.0 MB)
Windows Media (17.3 MB)
 

Hybrid Launch Vehicle (HLV)
Andrews was one of four contractors selected by the U.S. Air Force to define next-generation, modular, hybrid launch vehicle architectures for a full range of payloads from 2,000 to 65,000 lb to low Earth orbit (LEO). The hybrid architecture consisted of a reusable first stage and expendable second stage. After extensive design analyses and trade studies, Andrews selected a reusable rocket-back first stage that could attach to an Atlas V central core and provide responsive space options for the full range of payload classes.

Peregrine Launch System (PLS)
Andrews developed a hybrid (part reusable, part expendable) launch system capable of addressing ORS goals. The Peregrine hybrid system includes a reusable airplane-like Stage 0 that deploys an expendable upper stage assembly with payload. The PLS operates within existing military infrastructure and offers the flexibility to provide global strike or space launch capability with the same assets.

The Peregrine Mission Animation highlights how the Peregrine Small Launch Vehicle uses an innovative Concept of Operations to achieve multiple missions in a single 24 hour period at very low (<$5M) recurring cost to address force projection as well as commercial missions.