Sounding Rocket Validation Of Low-Cost Launch Technology

Under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) agreement with Marshall Space Flight Center, Microcosm, Inc., of Torrance, California, is developing small suborbital rockets (SR-S) to be marketed as Scorpius™. The prototype is complete, and both the vehicle and its launcher have been constructed. The first test flight was successfully launched in January of this year.

Scorpius has direct application as sounding rockets and target vehicles, and would be well-suited for microgravity experiments. The technology holds potential utilization by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S Army, and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) for use during weapons testing and operations training. Cost is estimated at one-half to one-third of existing means. When fully developed, savings could be in excess of $100M a year in suborbital vehicles alone.

Microcosm has received an SBIR Phase III contract as a continuation of its Phase II effort.

First SR-S vehicle on erector-launcher