Alliant Techsystems [ATK] and Ad Astra Rocket Company yesterday said they have signed a Technology Development Alliance aimed at exploring how both companies can work together to develop in-space propulsion systems for lunar and planetary missions.
For Ad Astra, the arrangement gives the small Texas-based firm an opportunity to work with a leader in rocket technology and systems that is developing key systems for NASA’s next-generation of human and cargo lift vehicles and hopes to have a key role in other future unmanned spacecraft that will deliver payloads long distances.
“We see this as a natural extension of ATK’s efforts, and a critical link to bridge the gap between existing high-thrust, low-specific impulse propulsion systems and low- thrust, high-specific impulse systems to meet a variety of applications,” Charles Precourt, vice president for strategy and business development at ATK Launch Systems, said in a statement.
Current in-space lift systems are based on ion propulsion and are low-thrust, high-specific impulse, which means they can deliver heavy payloads long distances using less fuel. Ad Astra is developing a plasma propulsion system called the VASIMR engine, which has higher-thrust than the ion propulsion systems but still has a high-specific impulse, which means it would still use low amounts of propellant to more quickly deliver a heavy payload a long distance. However, Ad Astra’s technology has never flown.
The companies said the agreement would result in a “more competitive end-to-end solution to meet customer needs in the rapidly evolving commercial and civil space markets.”
An Ad Astra spokesman said the agreement between the two companies isn’t exclusive. He described it as “preferential.”