Main Engine Cut OffNewSpace Development Office
Interesting read from recent podcast guest Eric Berger of Ars Technica on the Air Force’s interest in low cost, high launch rate reusable launch vehicles:
The study recommends the Air Force create a new organization, the “NewSpace Development Office,” to develop innovative acquisition strategies. The overall aim would be to move away from the existing model of launches, which are rare and expensive, to a model where they are common and inexpensive. In developing these strategies, the government must also be able to accept risk.
“This organization requires a ‘Fail-Fast, Fail-Forward’ culture as opposed to the traditional operationally focused risk-averse culture where ‘failure is not an option,’” the report states. “Silicon Valley and NewSpace have proven the powerful advantages of faster innovation cultures that expect and encourage incremental tactical failures as a key part of their strategy for developing new systems and technologies.”
It’ll be very interesting to see if something like this does come about, but the suggested name is awful. They need to go with something with a long life span, like the Spaceflight Development Office.
The NewSpace Development Office name would grow old quickly, just as the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program’s name did. There’s a reusable rocket flying under the EELV banner as we speak.