Th
e Air Force has contracted with XCOR Aerospace to “design and analyze a rocket-powered vehicle, which will reach 200,000 feet altitude and supersonic speeds” under its Operationally Responsive Space program, according to a company release. For the public-private venture, XCOR has already begun preliminary design to construct a rocket to fly suborbital demonstration missions. USAF plans to use the reusable launch vehicle to test ORS requirements, including labor hours per flight, turnaround time, and what systems require the most unscheduled maintenance.
Lockheed Martin plans to enter the Advanced Tactical Trainer fray to supply the Air Force with a new jet to bridge undergraduate flight instruction and fighter training units, but the company declined to say whether it will offer a T-50A derivative, a different non-developmental airplane, or a clean-sheet design. Its…