Swiss Space Systems (S3) plans to launch an unmanned robotic plane in 2017. The SOAR space plane will be used to launch satellites, its first launch will be from an Airbus A300.
S3 plans a spaceport in Payerne, Switzerland from which they will launch their craft, but could only be used during civilian aviation hours because of the dense population in the area. Other sites S3 is looking at are Morocco and Malaysia for additional spaceports.
Development of the SOAR craft is put at $211 million with a cost of launch at just $10.5 million, a figure four times less than the current going rate.
S3 has teamed up with several industry partners for the suborbital rocket plane project. They include the Belgian aerospace engineering company Sonaca; the UK engineering firm Meggit; the Belgian technology firm Space Application Systems (SAS; Spain’s Deimos Space aerospace company; French aerospace specialist Dassault Aviation; and Belgium’s Von Karman Institute.
S3 hopes to launch its first payload mission in 2018.
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