Efforts continue to find replacement for space shuttle fleet. Photo: NASA/SC

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., has selected nine companies to help define how NASA can get into space more safely and for less money than we can today using the Space Shuttle.

The companies will share in a $15 million NASA Research Announcement effort titled the "Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Risk Reduction Definition Program."

This research -- a first step in defining detailed requirements and identifying and implementing improvements in vehicle safety -- will be used to support a second-generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) competition in 2005. The Space Shuttle is a first-generation vehicle.

"The companies selected will provide the next step in the work required to increase safety by a factor of 100 while decreasing cost by a factor of 10," said Dan Dumbacher, manager of the Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Program Office.

"We're early in the program, and we look forward to further industry involvement to accelerate the effort in fiscal 2001."

Companies chosen to participate in this effort are Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va.; The Boeing Company, Seal Beach, Calif.; Andrews Space & Technology, El Segundo, Calif.; Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Denver, Colo.; The Boeing Companyıs Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power, Canoga Park, Calif.; Pratt & Whitney, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Futron Corporation, Bethesda, Md.; Kelly Space & Technology, San Bernardino, Calif.; and Space Access, Palmdale, Calif.

This effort will further systems requirements definition work necessary for the Second Generation RLV program, leading to initiating the business and technical risk-reduction activities in fiscal 2001.

These companies will be able to take advantage of work already under way on X-33, X-34 and X-37 experimental technology demonstration vehicles. The study will not only explore possible Earth-to-orbit launch vehicles, but also in-space orbit transfer vehicles, ground and flight operations and the technology and organization required to support both.

NASA anticipates awarding more contracts this year in various technical areas, resulting from the NASA Research Announcement.

Making access to space less expensive and safer is part of NASA's Space Launch Initiative, designed to increase commercial development and civil exploration of space. The Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Risk Reduction Definition Program, part of the Space Launch Initiative, is a result of NASA's industry-led Space Transportation Architecture Studies in 1998 and 1999, and NASA's integrated Space Transportation Plan developed in the fall of 1999.

The Marshall Center is NASA's Lead Center for Space Transportation Systems Development.