The military is building a space plane

SpaceNut · 2018-07-16 19:14:29

The military is building a space plane. Now it looks to have an engine up to the task

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Boeing's reusable spaceplane, depicted as a rendering, is under development through a public-private partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

A decade after the U.S. Air Force commissioned the next generation of GPS satellites, the first of these spacecraft is finally set to launch into orbit later this year.
As with other national security missions, a roughly 200-foot-tall rocket will blast the massive satellite to space, fulfilling a contract worth more than $80 million.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, along with aerospace giant Boeing Co., is developing a reusable spaceplane expected to launch small satellites 10 times in 10 days.
The vehicle’s first test flight is set for 2021, which hints at the Defense Department’s growing interest in reusable rocket technology, particularly its potential to drive down launch costs and speed up turnaround time.
In recent weeks, the spaceplane’s rocket engine, known as the AR-22, completed 10 test fires in 240 hours without need for refurbishments or major repairs, said Jeff Haynes, program manager at Aerojet Rocketdyne. The test firing took place at NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi from June 26 to July 6.
Scott Wierzbanowski, experimental spaceplane program manager at DARPA, described it as a “launch on demand” kind of service, in which smaller satellites could be taken to a specific orbit when they need to, rather than piggybacking onto scheduled launches that revolve around the needs of the larger, primary payload.
“The military right now is really reassessing their needs,” said Bill Ostrove, aerospace and defense analyst at Forecast International. “DARPA is trying to see what is possible.”
The Air Force has also developed the X-37B experimental space plane, which looks like a smaller version of the space shuttle orbiter. Details of its missions are scarce, but the uncrewed robotic space plane’s last mission involved 718 days in orbit before returning to Earth.
The 100-foot-long vehicle with a 62-foot wingspan is being designed for rapid reusability similar to that of commercial aircraft, program officials said. The spaceplane, however, will launch vertically like a typical rocket, deploy an expendable second-stage booster that will push the satellite to its intended orbit and then return to Earth and land horizontally like a plane on a runway.
To do this, Boeing has leaned on its commercial aircraft division. The composite materials used for the spaceplane’s fuel tanks, wing skins and other areas were based on investments made during development of the company’s 787 jetliner, which has an outer structure largely made of composites.
Total government funding for the spaceplane program is estimated at $146 million. Boeing declined to disclose its investment, saying only that it was a “significant commitment.” The ultimate goal is to reach a per-launch cost of $5 million, Wierzbanowski said.
That could make the spaceplane, once operational, significantly cheaper than the existing rockets already aimed at the medium-sized satellite market, including India’s PSLV, Europe’s Arianespace Vega and Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Minotaur IV. The launch price for a Minotaur or Vega rocket can range from $35 million to $40 million, said Phil Smith, senior space analyst at Bryce Space and Technology.
Boeing plans to commercialize the spaceplane, which it calls the Phantom Express, offering it to government and commercial customers.

tahanson43206 · 2023-01-16 12:53:42

For SpaceNut .... this topic you created should settle the question of where to put the new Space Plane topic for Space-Plane.org

(th)

SpaceNut · 2023-01-16 13:34:19

Actually, due to the political ramification this should have been put under free chat, whereas the other seems to fit in the science.

tahanson43206 · 2025-08-25 09:04:50

It is time for an update to this topic SpaceNut created. I'd like to know if this vertical launch space plane has advanced further.

The original article is from 2018:

By Samantha Masunaga
Staff Writer
July 16, 2018 5 AM PT

It seems to me that a vertical launch space plane is far more likely to achieve orbit than any of the air breathing concepts that have received attention in recent years.

For SpaceNut re topic .... the topic title is a bit misleading. The military doesn't "build" anything beyond the occasional temporary bridge over a small river. All such "building" is done by civilian contractors. The "Sea Bees" did plenty of building, but that was during war time, when civilian contractors were few and far between, but even there I understand that local civilians were hired when possible.

I'd like to see a follow up on the original post.

GW Johnson has written that a vertical launch space plane will reach LEO if it uses LH2 and LOX and if it has inert mass fraction on the order of 4%. That mass fraction seems (to me at least) quite challenging, but it may be possible.

The method to work on that inert fraction is available for anyone to study, if there is any interest.

Update later: It would appear that the US military (and probably others) would have in interest in being able to put a human into orbit to inspect an object, and perhaps to carry out onsite activities. A vertical launch SSTO space plane would appear to be a good fit, as indicated by the opening article of this topic. What is new is that GW Johnson has found a combination of components that could put such a plane into LEO, if it uses LH2 and LOX and if it can perform the operation with 4% inert separate from some payload, such as 1 ton or 100 tons. That 1 ton figure looks a lot more attractive for a military vehicle.

The SSTO capability would eliminate dependencies that exist for existing solutions along these lines.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2025-08-25 14:30:21

Darpa projects.

AI Overview
US Military's XS-1 Space Plane Will Be Built by Boeing ...
The military's AR-22-powered space plane, called the Phantom Express under the DARPA XS-1 program, has been halted; Boeing ended its development in early 2020, redirecting funds to other projects. The Phantom Express would have been a reusable, rocket-like vehicle that launched vertically and landed horizontally on a runway, utilizing modified Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) technology in the AR-22 engine to deliver satellites cheaply and rapidly. Although the project was cancelled, the AR-22 engine completed successful ground tests demonstrating its ability to be rapidly reused, a key requirement of the program.
Program Background
Goal:
.
The XS-1 program aimed to develop an aircraft-like, uncrewed spaceplane to provide routine, on-demand, and low-cost access to space for national security needs, according to darpa.mil.
Vehicle & Engine:
.
Boeing was developing the Phantom Express, a 100-foot-long, 62-foot-wingspan vehicle powered by one Aerojet Rocketdyne AR-22 engine.
Engine Technology:
.
The AR-22 was a modified version of the SSME, chosen for its reliability and ability to operate for 10 missions in 10 days.
Key Developments
Engine Testing:
In July 2018, the AR-22 engine successfully completed a series of 10 firings in 10 days, a significant milestone in proving the technology's reusability, noted Spaceflight Now.
Ground Infrastructure:
Aerojet Rocketdyne also developed processes and technology for rapid engine drying to enable the fast turnaround required for such frequent firings.
Project Termination
Boeing's Decision:
In January 2020, Boeing announced it would cease its involvement in the XS-1 program, a decision that effectively ended the development of the Phantom Express.
Reasoning:
Boeing stated that it would redirect its investments to other projects in the air, sea, and space domains.
Program Outcome:
While the project was canceled, the successful engine tests and data gathered contributed to the broader goal of reducing space access costs

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#1 2018-07-16 19:14:29

The military is building a space plane

#2 2023-01-16 12:53:42

Re: The military is building a space plane

#3 2023-01-16 13:34:19

Re: The military is building a space plane

#4 2025-08-25 09:04:50

Re: The military is building a space plane

#5 2025-08-25 14:30:21

Re: The military is building a space plane

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