It takes a lot more money and preparation to launch a rocket than to have a plane take off. That's why DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) first initiated its Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program. The idea is that once built, the XS-1 could take off and land like a regular aircraft, but could also deliver satellite payloads into low-Earth orbit while airborne. Today, the agency announced its plans for Phase 1 of the program, which includes awarding contracts for designs of the autonomous spaceplane... Continue Reading DARPA announces Phase 1 of its XS-1 spaceplane program

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Blue Origin, Boeing, DARPA, Launch Vehicles, Masten Space Systems, Northrop Grumman, Satellite, Virgin Galactic

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