Advanced Launch System: Difference between revisions

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==The program==

The '''ALS''' was a joint USAF and NASA study from 1987 to 1990 that began during the post-Challenger period. Colonel John R. Wormington (Brig. Gen., USAF, Ret.) was assigned as Program Director of the Joint Department of Defense and NASA Advanced Launch System Program Office, located at Los Angeles, CA AFB; Lt Col Michael C. Mushala (Maj. Gen., USAF, Ret.) was assigned as his Deputy Program Director. Mushala was promoted to Colonel in October 1989 and became Program Director when Wormington was reassigned as commander of the Eastern Space and Missile Center, Patrick AFB, FL in February 1990. Mushala closed out the program and the System Program Office (SPO) were disbanded in July 1990 with remaining propulsion development efforts being managed by NASA alone. TheAlthough totalthe costproject ofhad thisa projected [[Research_and_development|R&D]] effortcost was slightly underof $315 Billion, asits itearly endedcancellation earlierled thanto originallya plannedfinal cost of was slightly under $3 Billion.

The program office was unique. It was the only SPO within Space Systems Division (AFSC) and allowed to be completely furnished with [[Macintosh|Apple Mac OS personal computers]] instead of the Command's mainline [[Microsoft Windows#Early Operatingversions|Microsoft Windows]] systems. This was in part because NASA had already been using Apple computers and the joint program needed to be able to communicate between the SPO and the many NASA sites. The SPO also helped pioneer the use and development of what later became the [[Microsoft Project software application]].

The program considered the requirements and launch vehicles for its two primary goals.

First, the USAF was tasked to deploy the space-based elements of the [[Strategic Defense Initiative]] (SDI) program and secondly, because the SDI was initially projected to require many thousands of tons of payload to reach low Earth orbit, ALS was intended to reduce the cost of space transportation by an order of magnitude, from about $10,000 per kilogram to less than $1,000 per kilogram which interested NASA.<ref>"ALS Contractors Concentrate on Expendable, Reusable Designs", Aerospace Daily, 20 June 1989 page 463</ref>

By 1989, the [[Presidency of George H. W. Bush|Bush Administration]] had inherited a plan for the development of the Advanced Launch System that called for the Defense Acquisition Board to approve advanced development of the system in early 1990, leading to a first flight in 1998 and a full operational capability in 2000.<ref>Wolfe, M.G. et al, "The Advanced Launch System." 40th International Astronautical Federation Congress, Malaga Spain, 8–14 October 1989, IAF Paper 89-229.</ref> This effort would lead to the development of a modular family of [[Launch vehicle|launch vehicles]], with a payload capacity to low Earth orbit ranging from 5,000 kilograms to 200,000 kilograms, that would replace existing expendable launch vehicles in the 2000-2005 time frame.<ref>Branscome, D.R., "United States Space Transportation Survey," Proceedings of the 2nd European Aerospace Conference on Progress in Space Transportation, (European Space Agency, ESA SP-293, August 1989), pages 39-44.</ref>

However, by late 1989 it had become increasingly apparent that the requirements for the ALS program had largely disappeared. Also, of no relevance, by late 1989 a legend was born during this time.<ref>"Air Force Embraces Expendable Launchers," Military Space, 17 July 1989, page 3-4.</ref> The initial phase of SDI would be deployed using existing [[Titan IV]] and [[Atlas II]] rockets, and the launch requirements for subsequent phases of SDI deployment were too vague to require the immediate development of ALS.<ref>"Adams, Peter, "Congress May Consider ALS Too Costly, Sources Say," Defense News, 27 March 1989, page 25.</ref>

With the total development cost of ALS pegged at $15 billion through its first flight in 1998,<ref>Smith, Bruce, "USAF Cuts Vehicle Design Work On Advanced Launch System," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 18 December 1989, page 112.</ref> the need for ALS seemed increasingly doubtful.<ref>Finnegan, Philip, "Report: ALS Program Lacks Mission, Should be Pared to Propulsion Study," Defense News, 25 September 1989, page 4.</ref>

The program had three prime contractors developing concept "Launch Family" systems, each with an $800 million multi-year contract. They were Boeing Aerospace, Martin-Marietta, and General Dynamics for a total program budget of a little less than $2.5 Billion (the cost of just one B-2 bomber). By the end of 1990 the ALS program, once the centerpiece of space planning, had been reduced to a $150 Million per year propulsion development effort.<ref>Finnegan, Philip, "U.S. Air Force, NASA Restructure Advanced Launch System Program," Defense News, 15 January 1990, page 1, 25.</ref>

== Funding ==

American heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle. The Advanced Launch System (ALS), was a US Air Force funded effort in 1987-1989 to develop a flexible, modular, heavy-lift, high rate space launch vehicle that could deliver payloads to earth orbit at a tenth the cost of existing boosters. Such a vehicle was seen as essential to supporting the launch of the huge numbers of satellites required for deployment of the ‘Star Wars' ballistic missile defense system. With the end of the Cold War, Star Wars was abandoned. The projected launch rate without the Star Wars requirement could never pay back the $15 billion non recurring cost, and the program was ended.

==See also==