Field Narrows for DARPA's Falcon Program; Decision Expected Soon

摘要

Microcosm Inc. believes (hat it is out of the running for a Pentagon contract to demonstrate a quick response small launch vehicle, and has begun making layoffs as a result, according to a senior company official. That narrows the competition for the Falcon Small Launch Vehicle program to three companies: AirLaunch LLC, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and Lockheed Martin Corp. The U.S. Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are pursuing the development of the Falcon Small Launch Vehicle with the goal of launching payloads weighing up to 450 kilograms for no more than $5 million per launch, excluding payload integration costs.