The Commercial Spaceflight Federation congratulates Executive Member Masten Space Systems for its selection to partner with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of the Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program. Masten will use their expertise for the development of a reusable launch vehicle capable of flying 10 times in 10 days and lifting payloads greater than three thousand pounds to low Earth orbit.
“The Masten team has had incredible success in developing reusable vertical take-off/vertical-landing vehicles,” said CSF President Michael Lopez-Alegria. “With multiple flights already flown under the NASA Flight Opportunities Program, their experience will be advantageous in the development of the XS-1 vehicle. I look forward to watching their progress as they work to create safe, reliable, more routine access to space.”
In addition to Masten, three other CSF companies are participating in the program: Blue Origin, XCOR Aerospace, and Virgin Galactic.
To learn more about DARPA’s XS-1 program, read their press release here.
About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Sirisha Bandla at sirisha@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.347.1418.
