The Sprite Mini-Lift Vehicle: Performance, Cost, and Schedule Projections for the First of the Scorpius™ Low-Cost Launch Vehicles

The Sprite Mini-Lift Vehicle: Performance, Cost, and Schedule Projections for the First of the Scorpius™ Low-Cost Launch Vehicles

Scorpius™ is a Microcosm program, under two Phase III Small Business Innovation Research contracts at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate. The Scorpius™ program is to develop an entirely new launch vehicle family with the objective of reducing total launch cost by a factor of 5 to 10. This paper reports on status and substantial progress of the program since our last USU update. Specifically, the Sprite Mini-Lift Vehicle is projected to have a first DT &E tlight in the first quarter of 200 I and first production flight in the first quarter of 2002. It has a planned payload capability of 440 Ih. to low Earth orbit (due east launch). Total cost to orbit of the system is projected at $2 million (FY99$) after 10 launches. System development has focused initially on smaller suborbital and orbital vehicles, although system level design has been done for vehicles ranging from a small, single engine suhorbital, the SR-S, to massive heavy lift vehicles capable of putting 160,000 lb. into low-Earth orbit. The first test vehicle, the SR-S suborbital, was successfully launched at White Sands Missile Range on Jan. 27, 1999 and a larger single stage suborbital is scheduled for launch in late 1999.