LAUNCH VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

THE GOVERNMENT HAS INITIATED A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE U.S. LAUNCH VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY. THESE PROGRAMS ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON MEETING GOVERNMENT LAUNCH REQUIREMENTS. IF THESE PROGRAMS ARE ALSO TO BENEFIT THE COMMERCIAL LAUNCH INDUSTRY, COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENTS MUST BE INTEGRATED INTO THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS PROJECT WILL ASSESS THE COMMERCIAL APPLICABILITY OF GOVERNMENT LAUNCHERS AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS. WE WILL ASSESS HOW WELL PROPOSED VEHICLES ARE MATCHED TO FUTURE MARKET REQUIREMENTS, HOW WELL NEW VEHICLES OR TECHNOLOGIES MEET IDENTIFIED NEEDS OF COMMERCIAL USERS AND COMMERCIAL LAUNCH PROVIDERS, AND HOW COMPETITIVE THE SYSTEMS WILL BE IN THE FUTURE COMMERCIAL LAUNCH MARKET. WE WILL IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE THE COMMERCIAL APPLICABILITY OF VEHICLE OR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS, AND WILL DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO IMPLEMENT THE IMPROVEMENTS. WE WILL ALSO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER MECHANISMS THAT OCST CAN USE TO FACILITATE THE TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT-DEVELOPED LAUCHER TECHNOLOGIES TO THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR. FINALLY, WE WILL PROVIDE OCST WITH ANALYTIC TOOLS AND DATABASES FOR ONGOING ASSESSMENT OF THE COMMERCIAL APPLICABILITY OF GOVERNMENT LAUNCH TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS.