NanoLauncher, Interorbital Vying for NASA Cubesat Launch Prize

摘要

Although NASA's Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge was just announced in July, two firms that already were staking their fortunes on sending tiny satellites into orbit are working hard to capture the $2 million prize.rnThe most recent firm to reveal plans to send small satellites into space is NanoLauncher LLC, a cooperative venture that pairs SpaceWorks Commercial, a consulting firm based in Washington, with IHI Aerospace Ltd. of Tokyo. NanoLauncher plans to use existing technology including solid rocket motors developed by IHI Aerospace and decommissioned U.S. military aircraft to launch satellites weighing "a few tens of kilograms" into low Earth orbit, said A.C. Charania, president of SpaceWorks Commercial, a subsidiary of Space-Works Engineering of Atlanta.