Air Force and NASA officials recently agreed with the primary recommendation of a 120-day study team that the Air Force and NASA should continue to assess building a joint Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) demonstrator.

After scrutinizing shared technologies and mutual requirements for space access, the study team's top recommendation to the Air Force and NASA was that the two organizations should work together to assess building a joint operations demonstrator vehicle. The study also concludes this demonstrator could eventually lead to a follow-on cargo vehicle for both the Air Force and NASA, as well as to a crewed vehicle for NASA.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe; Air Force Undersecretary and Director of the National Reconnaissance Office Peter B. Teets; and General Ed Eberhart, Commander of US SPACECOM and NORAD, discussed the 120-day RLV study's findings and recommendations April 10 at a Senior Space Partnership Council meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo., and agreed in principle with the study's recommendations.

Another significant development of the meeting was a mutual agreement by the principals to continue a cadre of experienced Air Force people to work with NASA to proceed with joint study efforts, which include refining concepts of operations, requirements, figures of merit, and design reference missions. These efforts would support the fielding of a joint operations demonstrator vehicle as well as follow- on vehicles, which may evolve from that effort.

Officials from both organizations said they would like to move forward with an integrated technology planning effort that would address the requirements of both agencies.

"We see the Space Launch Initiative as a team effort to develop alternative reusable space launch systems that would enhance national security and increase the safety and reliability of our space exploration efforts," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "The findings of this study indicate that there are many areas where we can save taxpayer money by sharing technologies and integrating our planning efforts."

Other study highlights include the following:

• Development funding would be necessary in the out-years to support a joint operations demonstrator vehicle.
  
  
• There is a documented need for a new RLV system that supports commercial launch leadership.
  
  
• RLV is identified as having the potential to contribute to a transformational warfighting capability and to addressing NASA's need for a Space Shuttle replacement.
  
  
• Potential RLV commonality exists between NASA and DoD in areas like technology development, cargo lift requirements and launch architecture elements. A demonstrator could provide DoD early limited operational capability and provide design heritage for an operational system.

"This study, its recommendations, and our subsequent agreement shows we believe there is significant potential to be gained from a combined Air Force/NASA RLV effort," said Teets. "By combining strategies, harmonizing technologies and eliminating duplication of effort, we believe we are on a watershed course guided by sound business principles and a heartfelt desire to meet the future national security challenges of our nation."