Interorbital Systems

Interorbital Systems Corporation
Industry Aerospace
Founded 1996
Headquarters Mojave, California
Key people
Rod Milliron and Randa Milliron (founders)
Products Orbital rocket launch Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
Website http://www.interorbital.com/

Interorbital Systems Corporation (IOS) is an American aerospace manufacturer based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.

Interorbital Systems is currently working on a line of launch vehicles aimed at winning the Google Lunar X Prize. The company was also a competitor for both the Ansari X Prize[1] and America's Space Prize.[2]

Research and development

In 2007, Interorbital Systems claimed to be pursuing two separate lines of research.[3] The first being Sea Star TSAAHTO, a small rocket capable of delivering small satellite payloads into orbit,[4] which would generate capital for pursuing the companies flagship program: the Neptune; a line of launch vehicles designed to put humans into orbit.[5]

Common Propulsion Module

All of Interorbital's rocket designs are based on the Common Propulsion Module (CPM). The CPM is a small, self-contained rocket system. Multiple CPMs are combined through parallel staging to meet varying mission requirements. Though they have experimented with cryogenic fuel, Interorbital currently uses hypergolic White fuming nitric acid and Turpentine for oxidizer and fuel. The CPM is designed to maximize simplicity - it uses no turbopumps and no ignition system (because of the hypergolic propellants).[6]

The Common Propulsion Module Test Vehicle (CPM TV) performed its first successful test flight on March 29, 2014. The payloads included two CubeSats, a SYNERGY MOON payload and a Red Hot Chili Peppers album. The rocket reached an altitude of 10,000 feet and will be reused for the next test flight. All payloads were recovered intact; these payloads were not released to orbit.[7]

Orbital spaceflight program

Neptune[8] is a line of launch vehicles, consisting of the Neptune 30, the Neptune 45, the Neptune 1000, and the Neptune TSAAHTO. All of these configurations are based on combinations of "common propulsion modules" (CPM, essentially long tubes of rocket fuel). The liquid oxidizer and fuel used is white fuming nitric acid (WFNA) and Turpentine or furfuryl alcohol.[8]

The Neptune 45's maiden launch was planned for 2011, but as of March 2014 no flights had taken place, as the CPM component was being test-launched for the first time.[7] As of mid-2010, Interorbital Systems claimed a manifest to deliver 32 TubeSats and 10 CubeSats.

Sounding rockets

Interorbital Systems has successfully tested a number of rocket engines in the 500-5,000 lbf (2 to 22 kN) thrust range and conducted flight tests of its small testbed, Neutrino. Neutrino is a sounding rocket designed for low-altitude suborbital flight, for the purpose of testing systems of its larger follow-on rockets.

IOS holds an active Office of Commercial Space Transportation Launch License for Tachyon,[9] a sounding rocket designed for a 120-mile apogee suborbital flight.

Retired designs

SolarX was a suborbital rocket design that was IOS' attempt to win the Ansari X Prize. It did not get off the ground in time and was beaten by Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne.[10]

See also

References

  1. "X PRIZE Team Summary Sheet: Interorbital Systems" (PDF). X PRIZE Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2015.
  2. Boyle, Alan (October 8, 2004). "Space racers set sights on orbital frontier: After X Prize, some rivals seek more lucrative payoff". MSNBC.
  3. "Interorbital Talk to The Space Fellowship about the Google Lunar X-Prize, progress and landing rovers on the Moon". Space Fellowship. September 23, 2007.
  4. "SEA STAR TSAAHTO". Interorbital Systems. Archived from the original on 2012-05-13.
  5. "Space Tourism". Fast Track. BBC News. 2008.
  6. "Synergy Moon Presentation at 2011 GLXP Summit". YouTube. 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  7. 1 2 http://web.archive.org/web/20140407090735/http://www.interorbital.com/interorbital_03302014_018.htm. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. 1 2 "Neptune Modular Series Launch Vehicles". Interorbital Systems. Archived from the original on 2013-02-26.
  9. Milliron, Randa (2006-05-28). "Advantages of Using White Fuming Nitric Acid (WFNA) as an oXidizer in Rockets". Lunar Lander Challenged. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  10. "Space racers set sights on orbital frontier". MSNBC. 2004-10-08. Retrieved 2013-08-11.

External links

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