Joe Strout wrote in message ...
This was news to me, maybe it is to you too: SpaceDev is planning to
leverage its experience with the SS1 motor into a small orbital launcher
called "Streaker." From http://www.spacedev.com/newsite/templates/subpage_article.php?pid=475:

'The SpaceDev StreakerÔ is being developed under contract with the Air
Force Research Laboratory. The SpaceDev StreakerÔ is designed to put up
to 1,000 pounds into low earth orbit, at an estimated price of $5
million. The SpaceDev StreakerÔ will use a variation of the
SpaceShipOne motor as the upper stage, and for the orbit insertion
stage, SpaceDev will use a variation of the "space tug" motor SpaceDev
is developing for the Air Force Research Laboratory under a different
contract.'

I couldn't find any information about what they'd be using for the lower
stage.

It's interesting to compare this to SpaceX's offerings -- 1000 lbs is
about 454 kg, which is similar to (perhaps slightly less than) the
Falcon I's payload (depending on inclination and altitude). And a
Falcon I launch is $6M, compared to SpaceDev's estimated $5M.

So, both companies are planning to offer (well, SpaceX is already
offering) small orbital launch at about $10k/kg, give or take. And I
think they both have the potential to make good on these plans.

Pretty interesting times... it will be particularly fun watching the
nay-sayers argue that SS1 has no relevance to orbital spaceflight after
SpaceDev uses the funding and experience gained from SS1 to build
Streaker.

Note that SpaceDev's SS1 work is the most recent iteration of an
on-going propulsion technology development set of activities there,
using experience gained largely through earlier activities, and
funding largely from earlier sources. In particular, SpaceDev bought
up the remnants of Amroc some years ago (5 or 6?), providing them with
a knowledge base (and some hardware and people) to do with hybrid
propulsion; I believe that was done with investors' money. More
recently, they've gotten a series of military R&D contracts (from
AFRL, for example), to look into developing launch vehicles and upper
stages based on that technology.

It looks to me like their work on SS1 was part of that continuum of
development, albeit the first of their projects to take flight. As
"propulsion support" contractor, SpaceDev contributes some of the
components of the SS1 engine, I'm not clear on which ones. The
"forward bulkhead assembly" comes from eAc
(http://www.hybrids.com/news.htm). From
http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/faq.htm, looks like Scaled
Composites designed the oxidizer tank and fuel casing themselves, with
some fabrication done by Thiokol and AAE
(http://www.hobbyspace.com/AAdmin/arc...neUpdates.html).

For other SpaceDev propulsion projects, I think they're acting as
complete propulsion system designer/integrator.

- Kieran