DARPA's Phantom Express experimental spaceplane has taken a step closer to flight with Aerojet Rocketdyne's AR-22 booster rocket engine successfully completing 10 test firings in 240 hours. Based on the Space Shuttle main engine, the new variation is designed for rapid recycling as part of an effort to create an aircraft-like launch vehicle that can send satellites into orbit as rapidly as airliners leave airports.
↧