PlanetSpace Unveils Rocket That Could Fly From Cape Canaveral

PROMONTORY, UTAH, Jan 9-10, 2008 -- The PlanetSpace team, comprised of teammates Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Alliant Techsystems (ATK), and the Bank of Montreal (Financial Advisor), hosted a future space transportation open house at ATK’s facilities in Promontory, Utah. Available launch vehicle and spacecraft hardware provided assurance that a low-risk path is available for commercial-type space transportation. Congressional and senior representatives from several government agencies participated in this event where the team revealed plans addressing NASA’s near term, ISS space cargo delivery requirements driven by the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010 and other space vehicle requirements placing an assortment of payloads in specific orbits.

The team gathered together at ATK’s facilities in Promontory, Utah, surrounded by solid rocket motors, modular cargo carriers, and a mockup of the Conestoga, a space personnel carrier. Attendees were impressed at the sheer size of the existing systems. “Here is the proof showing that we can leverage our flight proven systems and component capabilities at Lockheed Martin and ATK meeting future Space transportation needs for NASA and other customers” said Dr Chirinjeev Kathuria Chairman of PlanetSpace.

ATK, the world’s leading provider of solid rocket propulsion, is currently developing the first stage for NASA’s Ares I launch vehicle and manufactures the Shuttle SRBs. Combining existing solid rocket boosters with minor upper stage enhancements provides a low cost launch capability paving the way for near term demonstrations. “Our ability to utilize propulsion elements currently in production greatly reduces the development time and enables us to provide a near-term, low-risk solution,” said Joel Crook, Director of Advanced Programs at ATK. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, using it’s vast interplanetary and autonomous spacecraft design, build, system integration, and mission operations experience, is developing the Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) for PlanetSpace. The OTVs include a modular cargo carrier and the Conestoga. “Basing our spacecraft design and performance on existing systems, including the Genesis on display to my right, brings a sense of reality to achieving highly reliable cargo delivery in the near future” said Al Simpson, Director Advanced Programs, Human Space Flight at Lockheed Martin.