Space
Transport Corporation Space Transport Corporation
(STC) was founded in August of 2002, and is located in Forks, Washington.
The company is run by Phil Storm and Eric Meier. They have had experience
working in the aerospace industry with NASA and Aerojet Corporation. Phillip
and Eric are, respectively, Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering graduates
from the University of Michigan and the University of Utah. They are young,
energetic, and focused. STC has received valuable support from many people
and groups within the Forks community, which is excited about fostering
the growth of a rocket technology firm in the area. [See the artwork
for the three vehicles on the STC web site .] Rubicon was inspired
by the ANSARI X PRIZE competition (see www.xprize.org). The design is
capable of winning the $10M competition - it can launch three people to
space (100 km), twice in a two-week period, and is 90% reusable by weight.
The competition requires launching only one person and ballast equivalent
to two other 90 kg (200 lb) people. Teams must be privately funded. A complete description of Rubicon and its flight is provided separately. Nano-Satellite Orbital Launch Vehicle The Nano-Satellite Orbital Launch Vehicle (N-SOLV) is designed to deploy 10-kilogram satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Demand for small satellites is projected to dramatically increase. N-SOLV will be marketed to the US military, amateur radio organizations, universities, and others interested in an inexpensive platform for delivering small payloads to LEO. N-SOLV can be operated as a quick-response launcher due to the ease of maintaining solid rocket engines for on-demand use. This quick-response feature could be of use for surveillance missions of all sorts. N-SOLV components include:
Loaded and fueled,
the vehicle will weigh approximately 6000 lbs and stand 26 feet high.
N-SOLV's Attitude Control System (ACS) will guide the vehicle into the
desired orbit at a speed of 17,000 mph. STC is currently focused
primarily on Rubicon development. In that process, critical N-SOLV components,
including engines and ACS components, are developed indirectly. |