Article Posted on : - Dec 06, 2011

Reusable Booster System Flight Demonstrator Programme. Photo: Lockheed Martin.

DENVER (BNS): Lockheed Martin has been selected by the US Air Force for a contract award to support the Reusable Booster System (RBS) Flight and Ground Experiments programme.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center are developing the RBS as the next generation launch vehicle that will significantly improve the affordability, operability, and responsiveness of future spacelift capabilities over current expendable launchers, according to a news release by Lockheed Martin.

"The innovative technologies and capabilities that RBS will provide are vital to meeting the needs of the Air Force and the nation for more affordable, responsive spacelift in the future," John Karas, Lockheed Martin Space System's vice president and general manager of Human Space Flight, said in the statement.

The value of the first task order is $2 million, with a contract ordering value of up to $250 million over the five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract period.

Initial RBS Flight and Ground Experiments task orders will provide for an RBS flight demonstration vehicle called RBS Pathfinder scheduled to launch in 2015.

The RBS Pathfinder is an innovative reusable, winged, rocket-powered flight test vehicle that will demonstrate the Reusable Booster Systems' "rocketback" manoeuvre capabilities and validate the system requirements that will drive refinements in the design of the operational RBS.