Black Triangle India 09.29.2021

a reply to: Ophiuchus1

That article is not exactly accurate.

JPA was formed in the late 1970's - early 80's, true, but their first project was the proposed design of a manned Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) incorporating xenon-fuelled ion motors as the main propulsion.

That project was followed by a design for a low-cost mass-produced satellite "bus" to be used in conjuction with the Getaway Special canisters to have been flown aboard the NASA Space Shuttle; a program that was terminated when the Shuttle Discovery was destroyed.

The firm then pivoted to the development of micro-gravity research test systems, and then began pursuing the commercial access to space. Is was, in fact, instrumental in the foundation of the AST division of the FAA, which was created to oversee the private, civilian space transportation efforts.

The firm's approach to this goal was to utilize a hybrid launch system, known as a "rockoon"; which incorporated a high-altitude balloon to carry a self-contained launch platform to 100K FT or more before the rocket was to be fired.

Their research and development of this rockoon system directly lead to their current airship development program, which, in its early stages, caught the interest of the USAF, to the extent that the AF provided significant funding for the program in its initial years.