Rocket Cargo
Rocket Cargo is a
reusable rockets that can perform propulsive landings on a variety of landing sites, to deliver a C-17's worth of cargo in an hour. The program was discussed in 2020 and announced in 2021, with a budget allocation request for Fiscal Year 2022.[1][2][3]
History
In the 1960s, the military studied using Douglas Ithacus T-100 rockets to rocket off aircraft carriers to deliver marines to theatres.[4]
In 2018, the Air Force started studying delivering cargo via rockets.[5] In 2020,
U.S. Transportation Command consulted with SpaceX on the delivery of 100-tons of cargo via rocket anywhere in the world in under 1 hour with Starship.[6]
In 2021, the Pentagon announced the Rocket Cargo program, with the U.S. Space Force as the lead service on the program. $9.7 million U.S. dollars were allocated to Rocket Cargo in FY21.[6][5]
The Pentagon Budget Office has requested $48 million US for FY 2022 for the program.[6]
In 2022, the Department of the Air Force awarded a $102 million, 5-year contract to SpaceX to demonstrate technologies and capabilities to transport military cargo and humanitarian aid around the world.[7] As of February 2024, the Air Force and SpaceX aim to perform a demonstration mission as early as 2026 using SpaceX's Starship launch vehicle.[8]
Objectives
The program is an
C-17 Globemaster III's worth of cargo or approximately 100 short tons (91 tonnes), anywhere in the world in under 1-hour. It would use a propulsively-landing reusable rocket that would transport cargo from source to destination, landing in all kinds of environments.[6][2][3][9][5]
See also
- Prompt Global Strike
- Rocket mail—delivery of mail by rocket
- SpaceX Starshield, other involvement of the military with SpaceX
- Starlink in the Russo-Ukrainian War
References
- ^ Michael Sheetz (4 June 2021). "The Pentagon wants to use private rockets like SpaceX's Starship to deliver cargo around the world". CNBC. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ a b Brett Tingley (13 October 2020). "The Military's Puzzling Plan To Have SpaceX Deliver A C-17's Worth Of Cargo Anywhere In An Hour (Updated)". The Drive. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ a b William Harwood (4 June 2021). "Space Force ponders rockets to quickly move critical cargo around the world". CBS News. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ Joseph Trevithick (1 June 2021). "Rocket Delivery Of Cargo Anywhere In An Hour In New Air Force Budget Proposal". The Drive. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ a b c "The Air Force wants rocket deliveries to anywhere on Earth in under an hour". Air Force Times. 2 June 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d Kyle Mizokami (4 June 2021). "The Air Force Wants to Drop 100 Tons of Cargo From Space". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ Sandra Erwin (19 January 2022). "SpaceX wins $102 million Air Force contract to demonstrate technologies for point-to-point space transportation". SpaceNews.
- ^ Erwin, Sandra (1 February 2024). "Air Force rocket cargo initiative marches forward despite questions about feasibility". SpaceNews. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ Doug Cameron (4 June 2021). "Pentagon Envisions Using Cargo Rockets". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
Further reading
- "Will The US Military Use SpaceX Rockets To Transport Cargo?". Scott Manley. 5 June 2021.
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