NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- U.S. Transportation Command is ready to move forward with a “proof of principle” demonstration of space cargo transport capabilities, but officials expect it will likely be another year before SpaceX, its current launch vehicle partner, is ready to move forward.
“We really are traveling at the speed of industry and the way that they’re developing their systems,” TRANSCOM Deputy Commander Vice Adm. Dee Mewbourne said during a panel today at the National Defense Transportation Association’s annual conference.
“For us, we’re ready,” he said. “Let’s load it up. We’re ready to go and do some sort of a demonstration to prove that point-to-point either does or does not have viability.”
Former TRANSCOM Commander Gen. Stephen Lyons announced last year the command had signed cooperative research and development agreements with SpaceX and XArc -- a space architecture and engineering consulting company -- to help prove the viability of space cargo transport from a user’s perspective. At the time, Lyons predicted SpaceX could be ready to demonstrate the capability as soon as this year.
But Mark Surina from the Logistics Management Institute, which works with TRANSCOM’s Office of Research and Technology Applications, said today it could be another year before SpaceX is ready to demonstrate. Surina noted there is not currently a firm timeline.
“We’re really reliant on them working out some of the fundamentals of launch,” Surina said. “I would only be guessing at this point, but it’s probably a year off. But it may be sooner if we find somebody who’s ready to go earlier.”
To that end, TRANSCOM recently closed a request for information seeking input from a range of companies who may be interested in helping the command better understand the feasibility of point-to-point space cargo transport.
That RFI could result in additional CRADAS, and Surina noted that more details are likely to be released in the next few months.
Tom Martin, director of National Security Programs at Blue Origin, also spoke on today’s panel and said the company responded to TRANSCOM’s RFI and is in discussions about a possible CRADA.
Sam Ximenes, CEO of XArc, said the company is working under its CRADA with TRANSCOM to better understand ground logistics and how to ensure a “seamless integration” into the command’s current air and sea transportation system.
“The ground logistics and the support infrastructure is very important and also presents opportunities to understand the challenges,” he said, adding the company is eyeing a possible proof-of-principle demonstration in this area.
As TRANSCOM works to expand its industry partnerships, the Space Force and the Air Force Research Laboratory are working to develop a business case for the technology and better understand the value it could bring to the Defense Department.
AFRL has formalized the effort, dubbed Rocket Cargo, and prioritized it as its fourth Vanguard program in the fiscal year 2022 budget request. The lab issued an advanced research announcement in June which is set to remain open through June of 2027.
AFRL plans to use the ARA to solicit competitive proposals for various aspects of the enabling Rocket Cargo technology and expects to make awards ranging from $50,000 to $20 million with a total program value of up to $250 million. The first two calls for proposals are focused on point-to-point operational capability and rocket demonstrations.