Stratolaunch Systems is pioneering innovative solutions to revolutionize space transportation

Launch Aircraft

Founded in 1982 by Burt Rutan, Scaled Composites has broad experience in air vehicle design, tooling, and manufacturing, specialty composite structure design, analysis, and fabrication; and developmental flight tests of air and space vehicles.

The success of Scaled Composites owes itself to Burt Rutan’s philosophy that the best ideas come from the collaborative efforts of small, closely-knit project teams and an environment unlimited by adversity to risk. Scaled Composites’ aerodynamic analysis and design capability, when combined with their proof-of-concept building experience, provides their customers with the most cost-effective and accurate development data available.

Scaled Composites looks to the future with the same focus on the approach they have used for the past 29 years, to create an enjoyable, rewarding work environment to achieve success while attacking difficult challenges. Having flight tested one new air vehicle per year on average since its founding in 1982, Scaled Composites has the experience necessary to provide their customers with the right solutions to meet customer needs.

Muti-Stage Booster

SpaceX is an American company building American rockets and spacecraft. Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the singular mission of creating the world’s most reliable launch vehicles and spacecraft.

Today, SpaceX is advancing the boundaries of space technology through its Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX launch vehicles can carry payloads to space at 30-50 percent of the cost of its competitors’ vehicles. Today, the SpaceX manifest represents over $3.5 billion in contracts, making SpaceX an industry leader in the commercial launch market.

Falcon 9, which debuted in 2010 with back-to-back successful flights, is setting a new world standard for commercial launchers. In December 2010, SpaceX became the first commercial company to successfully return a spacecraft from Earth orbit–a feat previously accomplished by only five nations and the European Space Agency. With the end of the Space Shuttle program, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft will take over delivery of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA.

Although initially carrying cargo, Falcon 9 and Dragon were designed to one day carry astronauts and feature increased structural factors of safety, triple-redundant avionics, and trajectories with acceleration limits within human safety limits. In April 2011, NASA awarded SpaceX a $75 million contract to prepare Dragon for transporting astronauts into space.

SpaceX has also announced its plans for Falcon Heavy, the world’s most powerful rocket. Falcon Heavy will be able to carry payloads weighing over 53 metric tons to orbit, offering more than twice the performance of other commercial launch vehicles.

Long-term re-usability is key to the dramatic cost savings that will enable innovative U.S. space exploration programs to continue. The Dragon spacecraft is a fully and rapidly reusable spacecraft, and SpaceX is working toward the goal of delivering the world’s first fully reusable launch vehicle.

SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Valor Equity Partners. The company has over 1,500 employees in California, Texas and Florida. For more information visit the SpaceX website at spacex.com.

Mating and Integration

Dynetics is responsible for the mating and integration system and overall technical integration of the Air Launch System. To lead and accomplish this program, Dynetics has assembled a world class staff of space launch, propulsion, and aircraft expertise including David King, former Shuttle launch director and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) director; Steve Cook, former Ares Launch Vehicle program manager; Jim Halsell, former US Air Force test pilot, SR-71, and Shuttle pilot and commander; and Mark Fisher, former MSFC liquid engines program manager.

Extensive experience in large air-dropped payloads, including leading the development, integration, and flight of the world’s largest precision-guided air dropped munition, the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) and support to the follow-on program, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) has provided Dynetics with the expertise to successfully perform the Air Launch Systems program.

Dynetics has extensive aerospace systems integration and analysis experience from programs such as our commercial satellite, FASTSAT; a small launch system for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, the MultiPurpose Nano Missile System (MNMS); and numerous complex missile and aviation defense integration projects.

Work on the Air Launch System will be accomplished in Dynetics’ state-of-the-art, 226,500 square foot prototyping center in Huntsville, Alabama – making the company a regional leader in hardware and software design, development, and test.