The rocket will carry hundreds of satellites

The US Air Force signed with Lockheed Martin a contract to produce a multi-use winged rocket named RBS Pathfinder.

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According to Cnews , this new type of rocket will simplify and reduce the cost of transporting space equipment to orbit and opening a new page in conquering space. Under the contract, the cost of drafting the project is $ 2 million, over the next five years, it will build and operate the test at a cost of $ 250 million.

New types of missiles can be used hundreds of times.

The RBS missile project is different from the current single-use rocket. RBS Pathfinder is an improved shuttle that uses multiple rocket engines with wings, ensuring a controlled landing on the runway. RBS is launched vertically like normal missiles and after reaching the specified height and useful loads (eg satellites) are separated, the first floor of the missile - complete transport become a mission and start landing with control. Then unmanned missiles perform aircraft-based grounding to prepare for the next launch.

RBS Pathfinder will be used to replace single-use, expensive and obsolete single-use missiles.

According to the technical requirements set forth in the contract, the RBS Pathfinder must use at least 100 launches and must be replaced once every 10 times.

RBS Pathfinder allowed to save a lot of effort to build the first floor of a bulky and expensive rocket-carrier, which is still destroyed after it has put a useful load on orbit.

So far, it is not known whether this new transport vehicle can take advantage of even manned ships, or its mission is to place satellites on orbit around the Earth, the children. Unmanned spacecraft and other space equipment.

After signing a contract to research prototype manufacturing, in 2015, RBS Pathfinder will conduct the first test flights. The new system will completely replace the US aerospace industry's old carrier missiles until 2030.

It should be noted that the Pentagon is actively studying different patterns of supersonic weapons, needing to have cheap means to take up high altitudes in space and race to high speed. Thus, it is likely that in the future, the RBS rocket itself will become a weapon to transport weapons to the US Department of Defense.