U.S.A.F Plans Reusable Booster Demonstrators

"A series of demonstrators is being planned by
the U.S. Air Force to mature technology for the
Reusable Booster System (RBS), its chosen
replacement for the Evolved Expendable Launch
Vehicle (EELV) family beyond 2025.

The first of the demonstrators, the Air Force
Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) RBS Pathfinder,
is planned to fly in 2013 to evaluate the “rocket-back”
maneuver that would enable the unmanned first-stage
booster to return to a runway landing at the launch
site."

See:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...&channel=space

On 4/10/2010 4:44 PM, wrote:
"A series of demonstrators is being planned by
the U.S. Air Force to mature technology for the
Reusable Booster System (RBS), its chosen
replacement for the Evolved Expendable Launch
Vehicle (EELV) family beyond 2025.

The first of the demonstrators, the Air Force
Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) RBS Pathfinder,
is planned to fly in 2013 to evaluate the “rocket-back”
maneuver that would enable the unmanned first-stage
booster to return to a runway landing at the launch
site."

Yeah, and 22 years after that, the thing will be ready to enter service.
Which is why our Martin MB-2s were escorted into Germany by P-12s.
For anyone in the know, what has to be one of the shortest books in the
world: http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=OS1091
For God's sake man, at least retract the landing gear.

Pat

On Apr 10, 5:44*pm, wrote:
"A series of demonstrators is being planned by
the U.S. Air Force to mature technology for the
Reusable Booster System (RBS), its chosen
replacement for the Evolved Expendable Launch
Vehicle (EELV) family beyond 2025.

The first of the demonstrators, the Air Force
Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) RBS Pathfinder,
is planned to fly in 2013 to evaluate the “rocket-back”
maneuver that would enable the unmanned first-stage
booster to return to a runway landing at the launch
site."

See:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...s/asd/2010/04/....

The USAF is up to ten fold faster than NASA at getting stuff done, and
perhaps half the cost.

~ BG

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:31:11 -0700 (PDT), Brad Guth
wrote:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...s/asd/2010/04/...

The USAF is up to ten fold faster than NASA at getting stuff done, and
perhaps half the cost.

Not much evidence of that. USAF could very possibly have pulled that
off with EELV, but the idiots in charge decided they had to have both
Atlas V and Delta IV, and whatever cost savings we expected were gone.
Delta IV-Heavy is $500 million per (as per the New Horizons RFP) while
its predecessor Titan IV was $400 million per. And Titan IV is that
sad tale of a vehicle that was just as expensive yet less reliable
than the Titan 34D and Space Shuttle it replaced. Progress in space
launch is certainly not coming from USAF.

And let's not even mention F-35, now twice as expensive and years
behind schedule, and getting worse. Or the Tanker Fiasco? Oh, boy...
Or the CSAR helicopter (AKA "Let's pick a 1950s design!"). Egads...

The nation can't afford much more of the Air Force 'getting stuff
done'.

Brian