Vector aerospace company reached an agreement with NASA management and received approval on three commercial launch of their rockets. All three of the launch is from the Baikonur NASA, located in Virginia, reports CNBC.
Executive Director of Vector Jim Cantrell said that the first launch is planned for July 2018. Under the terms of the contract between Vector and its first customer, in case of successful first start of the contract will be extended for another five starts.
As we wrote earlier, Vector-R — small, inexpensive missile, designed for launch of microsatellites. The cost of a single run is only about three million dollars, but due to the mobility Vector R special for launching it is not required. Just a small and smooth concrete pad on which to place the launcher. The weight of the rocket is about five tons.
Now the company has four customers that have already settled almost all the formalities. In addition, the company is now engaged in the construction of its own plant in Arizona — this will allow you to increase the number of launches to one hundred per year.
Vector, a rival of SpaceX, will make three flights next year
Vyacheslav Larionov