Rocket Lab, Sierra Space Sign Agreements Under US Military's Rocket Cargo Project
upstart writes:
Rocket Lab, Sierra Space sign agreements under US military's rocket cargo project:
Rocket Lab and Sierra Space have signed separate agreements with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to explore how their respective flight systems - Rocket Lab's Electron and Neutron rockets, Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane - could be used for superfast cargo delivery on Earth.
[...] Under its agreement, Sierra Space and the military will jointly explore using its Dream Chaser plane for hypersonic space transportation for terrestrial cargo and personnel delivery. Under Rocket Lab's agreement, it will work with the military to investigate using the Electron and Neutron launch vehicles, also for cargo delivery.
[...] "Point-to-point space transportation offers a new ability to move equipment quickly around the world in hours, enabling a faster response to global emergencies and natural disasters," Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said in a statement. "We're excited to be collaborating with USTRANSCOM on this forward-thinking, innovative research program that could ultimately shift the way the Department of Defense considers logistics response options."
[...] As the Air Force acknowledges in a statement on the new Vanguard program, "Delivering cargo via rocket transportation is not a new concept." However, it goes on to state that the sharp decreases in the cost of launch, combined with higher payload capability, have made rocketry a more enticing prospect for terrestrial delivery.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.