Space Services Inc.
Space Services, Inc. of America (SSIA) is a space services company and holding company. The primary subsidiary company,
In 1982, their Conestoga I rocket became the first privately funded rocket to reach space. In October 1995, their first (and only) attempt at an orbital launch, Conestoga 1620, failed to achieve orbit due to a guidance system failure[2] 46 seconds into its flight. The parent company, EER Systems, subsequently folded and the Conestoga program was cancelled.[3]
History
SSIA was founded in 1980 by David Hannah.[4]
Percheron development
The company initially started in the launch systems with a design by
Conestoga development
SSIA founder David Hannah then hired
SSIA was purchased by EER Systems in December 1990. The design was modified again, this time using the Castor engines originally used on the
The first orbital launch of Conestoga 1620 was to carry a NASA payload, the first flight of the Commercial Experiment Transporter (COMET) payload concept. On 23 October 1995 the COMET (now known as METEOR) and Conestoga 1620 was finally ready for launch. The launch took place from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility; the rocket launched normally, but broke up by ground command after a guidance system failure 46 seconds after launch.[2] The failure was later determined to be due to loss of hydraulic fluid due to excessive use of the control thrusters responding to noise in the flight control system.
EER Systems was purchased by
See also
- NewSpace
External links
- Space Services : About us
- nameastarlive.com - Space Services Incorporated's current website
- Space Services slideshow of Conestoga 1
- memorialspaceflights.com - Celestis, Space Services memorial services subsidiary
References
- ^ "Product Review — Celestis: Memorial Space Flights – Otrib.com". otrib.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-21.
- ^ a b Furniss, Tim (October 31, 1995). "First Conestoga booster explodes after launch", Flightglobal.com. Accessed 1 June 2020
- ^ "Today in Technology History - September 9 - Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-15. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
- ^ Guide to the Space Services, Inc. records, 1970s-1990s MS 584
- Toledo Blade. Toledo, OH. p. 1.
- ^ Richman, Tom (Jul 1, 1982). "The Wrong Stuff". Inc.
- ^ Abell, John C. (September 9, 2009). "Sept. 9, 1982: 3-2-1 … Liftoff! The First Private Rocket Launch". Wired.
- ^ Gail Repsher Emery (May 16, 2001). "L-3 Communications to Acquire EER Systems". washingtontechnology.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.