Unless you’ve been hiding underground this week, you’ve heard about Paul Allen’s exciting new project. He has formed a company, Stratolaunch Systems, to develop a revolutionary approach to space transportation:  an air launch system to provide orbital access to space with greater safety, cost-effectiveness and flexibility. 

Dynetics, the company leading the Rocket City Space Pioneers, is playing a key role in developing the air launch system.  Our responsibilities include leading the technical integration of the air launch enterprise – including program management support, systems engineering, flight dynamics and integration, and test and operations. We are also developing, manufacturing, testing, and integrating the hardware that will attach the booster to the carrier aircraft. 

This project is huge for Huntsville, Alabama.  Not only is the Dynetics headquarters located in Huntsville (home to many of the Rocket City Space Pioneers team members), but Stratolaunch is in the Rocket City, as well. 

The innovative technology for the air launch system begins with an aircraft, powered by six 747 engines, that launches a rocket once it reaches an altitude of 1,300 nautical miles. The airplane just returns itself back. The rocket drops off from underneath the airplane, it ignites, and then it takes the satellite into earth orbit. 

Dynetics already has a team in place to develop several key elements. About 40 people are working on the project, but even more significant than the number of jobs the program will create immediately is the long-term impact it will have on Huntsville and the United States. It will establish Huntsville as a leader in commercial space. 

At first, the Stratolaunch system will be used for satellites.  Once that mission is accomplished, then there will be a move to manned space flight.  Plans call for a first flight within five years. 

Dynetics pulls from a strong history of proven performance for this project. We have experience in very large air-dropped payloads including leading the development, integration, and flight of the world’s largest precision-guided air-dropped system, the MOAB, and providing hardware to the follow-on program.  We have a long history in supporting U.S. missile defense. 

With FASTSAT, our small commercial satellite, and MNMS, a small launch system developed for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, we have broad aerospace systems integration and analysis experience. We’ve also worked on numerous complex missile and aviation defense integration projects. 

We love to solve hard problems at Dynetics, and this air launch system is a very ambitious project. 

With our entry into the Google Lunar X PRIZE competition, the successful launch of our FASTSAT, and now the announcement of our part in this exciting air launch program, Dynetics continues to establish itself as a leader in the space industry. We look forward to exciting things ahead.