October 20, 2004
FALCON HYBRID ROCKET BEING TESTED ON
EDWARDS TEST STAND 2A
Edwards Air Force Base, California--Supporting a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Air Force Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program called 'FALCON', Air Force Research Lab's Propulsion Directorate personnel will begin conducting hybrid rocket testing at its Edwards Research Site this December.
The testing is part of FALCON's ten-month long Phase II effort to develop and demonstrate an affordable and responsive space lift capability. The program goal is to develop a low-cost, responsive launcher capable of placing a small satellite, weighing 1,000 pounds, into a circular 100 nautical mile orbit.
The Lab's recently renovated Test Stand 2A, rededicated on Jan 14, 2004, will initially be used to conduct hybrid rocket horizontal tests with 20,000 pounds of thrust. The family of rockets being proposed can be as large as 250,000 pounds of thrust. A hybrid rocket's propellants typically consist of a rubber-like solid fuel "grain" and a liquid oxidizer. The designation "hybrid" refers to this blend of solid and liquid rocket technologies.
The hybrid rocket is to be designed and built for Lockheed Martin Corporation by their Space Systems Company at Michoud, located near New Orleans, LA. The contract award to Lockheed Martin by DARPA was announced on Sept 15, 2004.