Pioneer Rocketplane
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| Private | |
| Industry | Aerospace and defense |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Solvang, California, United States |
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Key people
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Mitchell Burnside Clapp, Founder, Craig Dickman CEO/President |
| Products | Suborbital spacecraft Space systems |
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Number of employees
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0 (1/1/05) |
Pioneer Rocketplane was an aerospace design and development company intent on developing affordable manned space flight. The company is most famous for advocating a horizontal takeoff, turbo-jet and rocket propelled, aerial-refueled, rocket plane concept called the Pathfinder. The company still exists, but is no longer operating. Pioneer's intellectual property is now owned by Rocketplane Limited, Inc., but Rocketplane Limited does not employ any of the principals of Pioneer Rocketplane.
The "Black Horse" study began with a bar napkin at the White Sands Missile Range Officers’ Club on May 12, 1993. The original concept was developed by then Air Force Captain Mitchell Burnside Clapp, who envisioned an aerial refueled, rocket-powered single-stage to orbit (SSTO) vehicle using jet fuel and hydrogen peroxide. This concept seemed a natural match for the Air Force’s TransAtmospheric Vehicle (TAV) mission and studies began at the USAF Phillips Laboratory. Aerospace engineering legend Burt Rutan and noted aircraft designer Dan Raymer contributed input to the development of the design.
During the winter of 1993-94, the U.S. Air Force's Phillips Laboratory conducted a six-week study with WJ Schafer Associates and Conceptual Research Corporation which developed the Aerial Propellant Transfer (APT) concept further. This concept used existing components, existing tankers, landing gear, and conventional technology as much as possible.
Another study of a somewhat different APT concept was done at Martin Marietta during January through May 1994, this one of a near-term suborbital X-Plane that could serve as a demonstration vehicle for the APT concept. The study was led by engineer Robert Zubrin, who wrote about his experiences in his book Entering Space. Because the vehicle was about half the size of Black Horse, it was called "Black Colt."
This concept used an existing NK-31 RP/O2 rocket engine with two Garrett F-125 turbofans used for takeoff, loiter during aerial propellant transfer, and landing propulsion. Also, rather than push for the very high performance required to achieve true SSTO operation, the Black Colt was a suborbital vehicle, with the 1000-lb payload then being delivered to orbit by means of a Star 48V upper stage.
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Wikipedia