DARPA Abandons Plan To Launch Satellites From Fighter Jets

DARPA experimented on launching small satellites from the belly of fighter jets already high in the atmosphere.But after a second explosion, DARPA cancel the plans of doing so.

The holy grail of small satellite launch is a cost of $1 million or less per launch, and DARPA’s been chasing it for years.

The F-15 offered the potential to launch small satellites from anywhere the powerful fighter could reach, which was most places. But before the testing of fighter-borne launches could proceed, a specific rocket fuel had to work. And at two tests this year, that fuel failed .

Instead DARPA will spend the next year studying how to harness the volatile nitrous oxide-acetylene propellant and, in parallel, modifications to existing small rockets that would enable the agency place small satellites on orbit on 24 hours notice at a cost of less than $1 million. - See more at: http://spacenews.com/darpa-airborne-launcher-effort-falters/#sthash.73thnfGW.OKAIeU3G.dpuf

Drapa changed it's plans and starting from next year it will be studying how to harness the volatile nitrous oxide-acetylene propellant and, in parallel, modifications to existing small rockets that would enable the agency place small satellites on orbit in under 24 hours at a cost of less than $1 million.

Instead DARPA will spend the next year studying how to harness the volatile nitrous oxide-acetylene propellant and, in parallel, modifications to existing small rockets that would enable the agency place small satellites on orbit on 24 hours notice at a cost of less than $1 million. - See more at: http://spacenews.com/darpa-airborne-launcher-effort-falters/#sthash.73thnfGW.OKAIeU3G.dpuf

Instead DARPA will spend the next year studying how to harness the volatile nitrous oxide-acetylene propellant and, in parallel, modifications to existing small rockets that would enable the agency place small satellites on orbit on 24 hours notice at a cost of less than $1 million. - See more at: http://spacenews.com/darpa-airborne-launcher-effort-falters/#sthash.73thnfGW.OKAIeU3G.dpuf

Instead DARPA will spend the next year studying how to harness the volatile nitrous oxide-acetylene propellant and, in parallel, modifications to existing small rockets that would enable the agency place small satellites on orbit on 24 hours notice at a cost of less than $1 million. - See more at: http://spacenews.com/darpa-airborne-launcher-effort-falters/#sthash.73thnfGW.OKAIeU3G.dpuf